Pain and the Moment

Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, usually associated to actual or potential tissue damage. However, we all would agree that there is "pain" that is not physical.
As I read a article on the web, I was suddenly interrupted and brought back to reality by a sharp pain in my left index finger. Although the source that triggered the sensation of pain has not been identified and the sensation of pain has not repeated itself, I was interested by the fact that pain demanded my attention.
So, pain is an inescapable fact of life, and it will interrupt attention and behavior and urge one to act. However, research has shown that the opposite can be true: Pain can also be modulated by attention. Subjects consistently report less pain when they are being distracted.
In that pain-in-the-finger experience, pain made me stop any other thought and action and demanded that I focused on the aparent site of the problem. Pain brought me back to the moment. However, we don't have to experience pain to live the moment.
This whole thing reminded me of some interesting lines in one of my favorite movies: "Peaceful Warrior:"

This moment is the only thing that matters...
Where are you?
Here.
What time is it?
Now.
What are you?
This moment.

How many times do we forget to "live the moment?" How many times do we get distracted by unimportant things and stop living the now? How many people out there die without really living?
I am not suggesting here that we resolve to get involved in dangerous situations that will induce a high-adrenaline state, but that we start living in the present and make the most out of it. I am suggesting that we learn from the past, and prepare for the future, but not forget about enjoying our current circumstances and enjoy the journey. Live the moment.