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By far my happiest memory is the one of today.

Right in this moment, I am creating what will one day be a memory of this day. The people I meet, the food I eat, the smells I taste, the air that I breathe—my attention and presence to every moment of today will determine not only how much of today I remember, but also how much I will make of this day. Being in the here and now allows me to cultivate the happiness that will make it a happy memory, when looking back.

Why is it my favourite though? Because this one is on me. Today’s happiness is much more in my hand than any other day in the past or the future.

By cultivating my own awareness for the present moment, I cannot help but feel empowered. And is it not the feeling of not having control over our own affairs that so often makes us feel unhappy?

Of course, I have countless happy memories that I was lucky to collect throughout my life: family holidays, magical encounters of any sort, beautiful experiences like a first kiss or anything else that made me feel alive, graduating from university, and all the other small and big things that make us feel happiness in the moment.

But isn’t it true that we save those as particularly happy, because we were (often) anticipating their arrival and whatever was going on tied us to the present moment, and we were therefore able to really live and thus memorise it?

Happiness is, so very often, in the little things. And it might be the peonies I smelled in my mama’s garden this morning before I left. It could have been a not so happy day, because I am not going to see her for a little while. But I saved the peonies, the walk to the train station I shared with my uncle, the quick breakfast I shared with old friends on my layover, the smell of rain and thunder which has been in the air all day long, and the quiet on this train ride right now.

I know there are more beautiful things to come in this day, but I am bringing myself back into the now whenever I realise I have left it, so that I can make this day the happiest it can be—and another favorite memory.