Eckhart Tolle has pointed out that all day, every day, we "rank" moments. Generally, we rank the present moment as perhaps a 2 or 3 out of 10. Young people tend to give future moments "10" status. Older ones grant "10" to past moments. But what if you gave this moment a "10"?

You don't have to wonder what would happen. Just try it. Try saying to yourself, as often as you can, "This moment gets a 10 out of 10." It is absolutely astounding how quickly the moment conforms to the description. How? I've done this for months, so my experience is this:

It's not that the raw circumstances of the moment change. Instead, saying this to yourself plunges you into an appreciation for the infinite richness of each moment. You begin to understand that there are endless ways to become grateful for everything. For example:

Every object in your home, and your home itself, was built by someone who devoted some of his or her precious lifespan to gaining the skills to build it, and then built it. How could I have failed to notice that? Or you can simply become attuned to aesthetics you normally ignore.

The depth of color. The curving, sensuous shape. The sibilant murmur of the water. This stuff sounds trite as written, but within the context of "this moment is 10 out of 10" mindset you start to see it. I live in Southern Arizona, and swim laps in my pool each day in the summer.

It seems incredible to me that I ever missed the fact that the water looks like a blue jewel, and has a sybaritic softness as I swim through it that feels almost overwhelmingly supportive. It's ecstatic in a way I just did not notice before.

The "10 out of 10" construction works for me because I naturally place everything on a continuum. Another construction may work better for you. Find your own entry point, your own specific, personal language, to elevate the present moment to the status and power it deserves.

Because the present moment is all you ever have.