How to Embrace the Present (Even When You’re Late)

I was late this morning. And if I’m being honest, I usually hate being late.

A quick flash of panic hit when a tech issue popped up right as I was on my way. But before the spiral could take over, I stopped myself.

I was up before 9 a.m. on a weekday—which doesn’t happen all that often when your creative engine works best at night. I let the morning sun beam down on my face in pure bliss. Sure, I had to pick up my pace a little since my initial coffee shop plan fell through. But overall? Everything was actually okay.

I accepted where I was and fully embraced it.

Yes, I was missing the first 15 minutes of that business call. But no, I wasn't going to spend the walk worrying about it. I was on my way, and I knew I’d enjoy the rest of the conversation once I arrived. Right in that moment, I was walking down the street in a city I love, soaking in morning sunlight I rarely get to experience on an unexpectedly crisp morning. I had a soundtrack playing in my headphones. The moment itself was perfect. Nothing was actually wrong.

Everything happens in divine timing.

Around that time, I was reading The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, and the deeper I got into it, the more aligned I felt with everything unfolding around me.

The core concept fascinated me: When we dwell on the past or obsess over the future, we get pulled straight out of the present—and the present is where all of our personal power and creative flow live.

When we are truly present, we are finely tuned to the wisdom of the soul, rather than the incessant chatter of a mind obsessed with time. There is only now. The past is done, and the future isn't here yet, so why anchor ourselves to either? The present is where the magic starts.

"Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life." — Eckhart Tolle

When you step into a state of conscious awareness, you realize that nothing is actually wrong with this exact second. Tolle asserts that "problems" only exist when we carry the weight of the past or project fear into what’s to come.

How often do you allow yourself to just enjoy the moment?

I’m not saying you have to force joy if you’re hurting. But you can savor the experience of being alive. Whatever you’re feeling, allow it to exist. Feel it fully. Don’t push it away, and don’t rush what doesn’t need to be rushed. Allow what is to simply be—as though there is nothing to fix, nothing to struggle against, and nowhere else you need to be. There is untapped peace, healing, and joy in that space.

"If you find your here and now intolerable and it makes you unhappy, you have three options: remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it totally." — Eckhart Tolle

A while back, I had a major revelation about my own presence. I noticed I was deeply present when I was out in the world, meeting with people, and experiencing life. But the second I got home and kicked off my shoes, it was like my presence switch flipped off. Home was where the mental to-do list took over, where I could easily get lost in a screen, or where I’d worry about the future until I felt overwhelmed.

My coach at the time suggested a simple, grounding ritual: light a candle for consciousness. It was a physical anchor to bring awareness back into my space.

That’s when I started practicing true awareness—noticing when the mind gets in the way with its non-stop observations and preferences, disassociating from the egoic mind (which is only ever concerned with protection and fear), and making choices from a place of intuitive alignment.

Trust me… It’s a practice, not a destination.

I still have moments where I get pulled out of the present moment, especially when navigating something heavy or chaotic. But my most profound, expansive days are the ones where I choose to show up fully for the now.

The magic of flow is always found in the present—not in what preceded this moment, and not in what comes next.

Being present, combined with acting from a heart-centered space, is one of the most grounding feelings I know.

So, take a breath right now. Appreciate the subtle beauty around you. Quiet the inner critic for just a second. Be here, in this exact moment, and remember that Now is all you ever truly have.

Wishing you the most present day ahead. Let the mind settle and step into the now—it’s right under your nose the moment you choose to look.

P.S. It’s always worth it.

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From the Archives: I wrote this original post back in 2016 while walking down a chilly city street in the Flatiron District of NYC, completely flustered about being late to a work call. Ten years later, this reminder to return to the present moment hits just as deep.