I’ve often enjoyed many things and experiences assuming I’ll have a second opportunity to enjoy them again. Or reserved my happiness for a future moment when I thought the timing would be better. In doing so, I cut myself slack for not being present in the moment, telling myself, “I’ll do it next time.” But what next time? What future?

I’m also guilty of desiring more of what I got instead of appreciating how much is already in front of me, thus forgetting to enjoy it altogether. Not to mention the bitter taste of dissatisfaction this leaves in my mouth—about how much I got in the first place.

I forget that we’re not promised a second serving of anything—neither the food we love nor the moments we cherish. Hence, I remind myself to take a big scoop of the ice cream I didn’t eat because I was dieting, or a big scoop of happiness when it comes my way. To be content with what’s given and present when it is. Things usually don’t come to us in proportions of our choosing, or when we want them to. And sometimes, they don’t come at all. This, I’ve learned, are two big aspects of living a moment—living life.

Here’s what I’m trying to do: if I feel like I’m hurrying past a moment, I stop myself, take a long breath, shrug off the entitlement, and savor it. We must develop the presence to make the most of things when they come, regardless of how we’re feeling. Let’s not defer happiness to a future moment or forget to value what we’ve got simply because we wanted more of it.