By Carolyn Rubenstein

Life unfolds at every moment, and each day is filled with collections of moments that are both good and bad. Yet, even during trying moments, we have the ability to experience something beautiful.

Through practice, we are able to discover the beauty that can be found in each single moment. This isn’t something that is typically an established habit, so it takes quite some work and persistence to discover and treasure these hidden qualities in each moment. It’s indeed challenging to “rewire” the negative habits that all too often cloud our perspective.

Prior to becoming more mindful, bad moments always meant dark clouds, tears, and sadness. In my case, I saw only black and white. I somehow never realized that gray was a viable option as well. Of course, sadness is palpable; however, it does not have to be the only or the dominant emotion. During rough times, I felt as if the only direction I could head toward was down… until my eyes finally opened, and the pieces of my life began to make sense. Today, they don’t fit together perfectly – and I’m embracing that.

“Now is Everything” has become my guidepost along this journey. It was the core lesson I learned while writing Perseverance.

The phrase always reminds me to stay mindful of my priorities but not allow myself to shift into the mindset of, “I’ll do that right after I get through this.” Time is not guaranteed; the only guarantee we have is our “now.”