I ran across this article about inspirations for living in the moment. They’re pretty good suggestions, and the subject matter is definitely something I need to pay more attention to, but something struck me about the cat example:
I also like watching my cat, Riddle. He thinks he’s a lion. He’ll stealthily stalk an insect or lizard, as if he’s hidden in tall grass on the savanna, and then he pounces and attacks. You know he’s not thinking about what he had for breakfast or what furniture needs to be clawed to shreds later in the day. Cats (and other animals) are all about the Now. Be like a cat.
Actually, it’s not quite that. The cat doesn’t know about lions. He just is what he is. Also a good lesson in some ways, but an important part of being human is that we can choose to be what we are not.