100+ Quotes to Inspire You to Live Life in the Moment

We’ve all heard it a million times: “Live in the moment.” But life has a funny way of pulling us out of the present.

We’re often so busy replaying yesterday’s awkward moments, stressing over tomorrow’s to-do list, or just being buried under notifications and endless reminders. Sometimes, it feels like “the moment” is the last thing we’re actually living in.

But here’s the thing: when we really stop and focus on right now, life somehow gets a whole lot simpler—and a lot more enjoyable. It’s those little pauses that remind us there’s a lot to savor, even in the most ordinary moments.

So, let’s pause for a second and get a bit of inspiration to actually enjoy right here, right now. These quotes about living in the moment are here to give you that gentle (or maybe not-so-gentle) nudge to breathe, take it all in, and realize that this very moment is a gift.

After all, these moments are ours for the taking.

Best Living in the Moment Quotes

• “The here and now is all we have, and if we play it right it’s all we’ll need.” — Ann Richards
• “Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” — Omar Khayyam
• “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
• “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.” — Eckhart Tolle

• “Life is available only in the present moment. If you abandon the present moment you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
• “You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.” — Henry David Thoreau
• “Happiness, not in another place but this place… not for another hour, but this hour.” — Walt Whitman
• “I always live in the present. The future I can’t know. The past I no longer have.” — Fernando Pessoa
• “If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” — Amit Ray
• “Nothing is worth more than this day. You cannot relive yesterday. Tomorrow is still beyond your reach.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• “Do every act of your life as though it were the very last act of your life.” — Marcus Aurelius

• “Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift.” — Oprah Winfrey
• “Wherever you are, be there totally. 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
• “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” — Maya Angelou
• “The past is a ghost, the future a dream. All we ever have is now.” — Bill Cosby
• “We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.” — Bill Watterson
• “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.” — Bill Keane
• “The only way to survive eternity is to be able to appreciate each moment.” — Lauren Kate
• “If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” — Lao Tzu  
• “Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” — Omar Khayyam
• “Life becomes more meaningful when you realize the simple fact that you’ll never get the same moment twice.”

Inspirational Living in the Moment Quotes

• “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.” — Eckhart Tolle
• “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” — Muhammad Ali
• “Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.” — Wayne Dyer
• “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” — Marcus Aurelius
• “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” — Robert Brault
• “The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.” — Abraham Maslow

• “It is only possible to live happily-ever-after on a day-to-day basis.” — Margaret Bonnano
• “Living in the moment brings you a sense of reverence for all of life’s blessings.” — Oprah Winfrey
• “To live in the present moment is a miracle. The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
• “Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” — Jim Rohn
• “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” — Abraham Lincoln

• “Living in the present moment creates the experience of eternity.” — Deepak Chopra
• “Don’t wait to be successful at some future point. Have a successful relationship with the present moment.” — Eckhart Tolle
• “The more you are aware of the present moment, the more you will experience the joy of being.” — Eckhart Tolle
• “The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
• “Enjoy today. It is one of the “good old days” you will miss in the future!” — Etta Sawyer
• “We need to embrace every day and enjoy it as much as we can.” — Karen Todd Scarpula
• “The best way to create a better future is to do your best at this very moment.” — Debasish Mridha
• “Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon.” — Charles M. Schulz

Deep Living in the Moment Quotes

• “We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.” — Bill Watterson
• “I’ve always believed in savoring the moments. In the end, they are the only things we’ll have.” — Anna Godbersen
• “We know nothing of tomorrow; our business is to be good and happy today.” — Sydney Smith
• “Never allow waiting to become a habit. Live your dreams and take risks. Life is happening now.” — Paulo Coelho

• “Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.” — Albert Camus
• “The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” — Thomas S. Monson
• “The future belongs to those who learn from the past and live brilliantly in the present moment.” — Debasish Mridha
• “Now is the only time we have, and the only time we have any control over.” —Richard Carlson
• “Most humans are never fully present in the now. Because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss your whole life, which is never not now.” —Eckhart Tolle
• “If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that nobody is here forever. You have to live for the moment, each and every day . . . the here, the now.” — Simone Elkeles

Short Living in the Moment Quotes

• “Be present in all things and thankful for all things.” — Maya Angelou
• “Don’t let the past steal your present.” — Cherralea Morgen
• “When we are present, life is also present.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
• “The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.” — Richard Bach

• “You do not find a happy life. You make it.” — Camilla Eyring Kimball
• “What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.” — Ralph Marston
• “Be here now.” — Ram Dass
• “Now is all you have.” — Eckhart Tolle
• “Seize the day.” — Horace
• “Wherever you are, be all there.” — Jim Elliot
• “The art of life is to live in the present moment.” – Emmet Fox

• “Forever is composed of nows.” — Emily Dickinson
• “Enjoy every moment: you never know when things might change.” — Natalie Imbruglia
• Just enjoy every moment. Don’t stress. Just be yourself. – Mabel
• “Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.” — Will Rogers
• The future depends on what you do today. – Mahatma Gandhi
• “Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed.” — Coreta Kent

Quotes About Living in the Moment from Movies and TV Shows

• “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” — Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
• “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” — Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• “Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” — Dead Poets Society

• “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” — Master Oogway, Kung Fu Panda
• “This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time.” — Tyler Durden, Fight Club
• “It’s what you do right now that makes a difference.” — Jeff Struecker, Black Hawk Down
• “Hakuna Matata!” — Timon and Pumbaa, The Lion King

Stoic Quotes About Living in the Moment

• “The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.” — Seneca
• “Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life.” — Seneca
• “The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.” — Seneca

• “True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing.” — Seneca
• “Life is very short and anxious for those who forget the past, neglect the present, and fear the future.” — Seneca
• “Confine yourself to the present.” — Marcus Aurelius

Related: 90+ Inspiring Quotes About Living Life to the Fullest That Will Change Your Outlook

Quotes About Living in The Moment with No Regrets

• “Regret for wasted time is more wasted time.” — Mason Cooley
• “At the end of the day, let there be no excuses, no explanations, no regrets.” — Steve Maraboli
• “If you aren’t in the moment, you are either looking forward to uncertainty, or back to pain and regret.” — Jim Carrey
• “Live life with no excuses, travel with no regret.” — Oscar Wilde

• “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” — Alexander Graham Bell
• “Live in the moment. Forget the past and don’t concern yourself with the future.” — Tanner Christensen
• “Go for it now. The future is promised to no one.” — Wayne Dyer

• “The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence; the past is a place of learning, not a place of living.” — Roy T. Bennett
• “Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.” — Henry David Thoreau
• “Forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other path, no other way, no day but today.” ― Jonathan Larson
• “Take every chance, drop every fear, and live with no regrets.”
• “You can’t change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future.”
• “Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles. It takes away today’s peace.” —Randy Armstrong

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Final Thoughts

In the end, living in the moment is all about making the most of the time we have right now. It’s about letting go of the past, not worrying too much about the future, and just appreciating what’s in front of us.

These quotes are here to remind us that life is happening right now—right here.

I hope these words gave you a little push to enjoy each moment, no matter how small. It’s not always easy, but even a tiny shift in focus can make our days feel a bit brighter and more meaningful.