36 Live In The Moment Quotes To Embrace Life Whole-heartedly

A collection of inspirational living in the moment quotes that will stop you from drifting to the past or future so you can enjoy life to the fullest.

Few of us ever live in the present. We are forever anticipating what is to come or remembering what has gone.
– Louis L’Amour

“Would you like chicken or beef?”
“Eh…yeah.”
“So which one do you want to order?”

This conversation took place on my trip to Vietnam when I was in a restaurant. I had all the seemingly delicious food on the menu. But my mind wasn’t there.

My mind was drafting a reply to an email I just checked. My mind was on the local tour I hadn’t booked for tomorrow. My mind was on my Q4 schedule for work. I was so caught up by things that had happened or might happen, and I let the present moments slip through my fingers.

This may sound familiar to you, or perhaps it’s just me. But when notifications are dragging our mind to a thousand different directions, it’s so hard to live in the moment and focus on the present moment.

I can’t even remember the last time I do nothing but to immerse myself in the flow of air, the sound of the wind, and the warmth of the sunshine.

So why do we need to live in the present? What big deal is it to linger to the past or anticipating the future?

As Mel Robbins said, “if you are living in the past, you are going to be depressed. If you are living in the future, you are going to be anxious.” The present moment is the only thing we have control of, not the past, not the future.

Every second we spend thinking about past trauma or worrying about what may happen; we are wasting our time to make things happen.

If you too have trouble living life to the fullest and enjoy every moment, these 34 living in the moment quotes may help to reset your mind and to stop it from jumping around.

What’s not living in the moment?
1. Dwell in negative emotions
2. Worry about the future
3. Can’t forgive myself
4. Let the what-ifs rule my mind
5. Hold a grudge
6. Wait for the perfect timing
– Emma Xu

Forever is composed of nows. 
– Emily Dickinson

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.
– Oscar Wilde

Carpe diem:
Seize the day;
To put aside all differences, all fears, all worries, and just go for it.

The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.
– Eleanor Roosevelt

“What day is it?” asked Pooh.
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh.
A.A. Milne

Read also: 43 Winnie the Pooh quotes that tell the truth about friendship and life

Let everything happen to you, beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.
– Rainer Maria Rilke

Life is a journey, not a destination.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yesterday is dead; tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.
– Groucho Marx

Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.
– Eckhart Tolle

The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.
– Thomas S. Monson

The best preparation for the future is to live as if there were none.
– Albert Einstein

We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends, and living our lives.
– Maya Angelou

Read also: 27 Thought-provoking life quotes from Maya Angelou

There are greater possibilities ahead than anything that has already passed you by.
-TemitOpe Ibrahim

Take the ride, live the experience, find your passion.
– Charles E Hudson

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
– Mahatma Gandhi

When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love.
– Marcus Aurelius

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
– Helen Keller

Life is what you make it. Always has been, always will be.
– Eleanor Roosevelt

Read also: 24 Best Eleanor Roosevelt quotes that are true words of wisdom

Life is too short to spend another day at war with yourself.
– Ritu Ghatourey

The future starts today, not tomorrow.
– Pope John Paul II

Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.
– Oprah Winfrey

Read also: 62 Badass strength quotes to awaken your inner girl boss

The future depends on what you do today.
– Mahatma Gandhi

I’m gonna live like tomorrow doesn’t exist.
– Sia, “Chandelier”

Don’t count the days; make the days count.
– Muhammad Ali

One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.
– Gerard Way

Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight.
– Gordon B. Hinckley

The only reason to be alive is to enjoy it.
– Rita Mae Brown

Even in the mud and scum of things, something always, always sings.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Read also: 41 Empowering self-reminders to turn a bad day around

No amount of regretting can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future.
– Roy T. Bennett

Future cares have future cures. And we must mind today.
– Sophocles

You are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.
– Steve Maraboli

Read also: 69 Success quotes that will inspire you to push a little bit harder

The past increases, the future recedes. Possibilities decreasing, regrets mounting.
– Haruki Murakami

We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.
– Rick Warren

One day/Day one, you decide.

Better an “oops” than a “what if”.

If you do, don’t forget to share it on social media. If you have a quote on living in the moment that resonates with you, tell me in the comment!