Attention: present, not extorted or exhorted

Pay attention!
"For many of us, the phrase "pay attention" conjures up memories of parents, teachers, and maybe even bosses who would scold us for not being focused on what they felt we "should" be focused on." ~Curtis G. Schmitt
Being present is a gift, and cannot be extorted or exhorted, scolded or shamed into being. It only requires now, no past, no future, no money, no action.

"Try this exercise, right now. You might be in a passive reading mode and telling yourself you'll do it later, but please take this opportunity to do it now.
1. Sit quietly with your eyes closed and notice what you are experiencing. Don't judge it. Just for a moment, let go of the feeling of wanting a different experience, and pay attention to the Now.
2. Focus your attention inward and notice what you're feeling. What mood are you in? Resist the urge to judge your mood or change it. Is there a particular emotion you're feeling that you might not have been aware of a moment ago? Is there another emotion below that one, maybe subtler but still affecting how you feel?
3. Now focus your attention outward. What sounds and smells do you notice that you weren't aware of a moment ago? What sensations can you feel in your body that your mind has been filtering out until now? Focus on your big toe on your left foot or how it feels to sit in your chair. Now focus on the temperature of the air that you're breathing, the feeling in your chest as it expands and contracts, and the sound your breath makes.
Don't you feel more alive when you are present? Are you surprised by all of the things you noticed--inside and out--that you hadn't noticed before? These sensations were there all the time, only you weren't paying attention to them.
What you just did was a meditation. What I love most about this kind of meditation is that it can make the mundane feel magical. Try it the next time you brush your teeth."
~Curtis G. Schmitt

Welcome to now!