Do you need to be conscious of time passing by when all you have to do is play, run, sing, paint and laugh? When every day is a joy and every simple discovery is a miracle?

When you are 5 years old, your time is today and now. The present moment is so important that it captures your full concentration and emotion. Children are fully present within themselves and happy ‘now’ and as every day comes by. One ‘today’ at a time.

I remembered what ‘today’ means. And why it is so important.

As he played with his LEGO bricks in full concentration, I realized that every day is like a brick. One brick here, one next to it, one on top and so on. Day after day, brick after brick, we build ourselves.

The little builder left some free space between some of the bricks in an ingenious way. I soon learnt from him that he called it an ‘invention’.

I am leaving enough space between these bricks to let fresh air inside. But I have to be careful how I place them because I still want to keep my construction solid”, he said with a serious face.

Fair enough.

Every day we live in joy, kindness and consciousness is a great day that will add to who we are and what we become. But there are days when we forget to enjoy, learn something new or do something kind. Days when we worry or stretch ourselves so much that we end up missing the point of our effort. We put no solid brick there to build upon and leave unconsolidated empty spaces.

Be conscious of the contribution every today has in building yourself and the importance of letting fresh air in.

I learned from this little boy what ‘now’ means. And why it is so valuable.

He kept building until his invention took unexpected shapes and included surprising elements. Remember? One brick after another. He didn’t know where this was going to get him, but he felt he was on his right way.

Suddenly, he says:

You know, I am so happy because now I am making such an interesting invention. It is my favorite!

You can seize the value of now when you let it absorb you and remain connected to yourself in everything you do. When you use every moment to make your dreams and ideas happen, you keep building at who you were destined to become.

Learn from the way children play and react to life with genuine surprise and curiosity. What I learnt from my little play companion is that every now weights its value in the things we enjoy doing and the way we remain connected to ourselves. We are not so far away from the child within if we leave him some air and space to be.

And after all, life itself is a sum of now + now + now + … + now.