79 Mindfulness Quotes for a More Mindful Life

What did you do yesterday? Were you constantly rushing from one task to the next? Maybe at work, or cramming in the weekly shop and overdue house chores?

And what about last week? It’s probably a blur by now. A distant memory of scrambling to get everything done. With little to no time for you.

No time to appreciate the morning sun. Or the smell of your coffee-to-go.

No time to step out of the car and walk a few steps in your comfy shoes. Or contently listen to your friend without clock watching and making your excuses to go.

The ‘right now’ slips away. And we forget to value the moment we’re living in.

Mindfulness quotes can help you to refocus your thoughts. And in doing so, enjoy more of the little things, the easily forgotten, and a happier more balanced life.

Why Should You Practice Mindfulness?

Have you ever sat and watched a movie, got to the end, and had no idea what actually happened? Not because the film made no sense and you were left more confused than a chameleon in a bag of skittles. But because you weren’t really present in the moment.

Or maybe you’ve been talking to your Mum or sister and suddenly realized (usually when they’ve asked you a question) that you have no idea what’s been said? At this point, you have to just wing the answer and hope for the best.

But by being mindful, you can escape the constant drifting in and out. Not only of conversations but of moments in your life that you’re simply missing out on.

That’s not to say that ‘being present’ is something that just happens. It's not a case of waking up one day and deciding that today’s the day to be mindful, or at least not without effort. And the time to invest in yourself on this journey.

The more you practice mindfulness, the easier it becomes. And the more you find yourself ‘in the moment’ without consciously deciding to be.

The world will become a brighter place; the trees a more beautiful green. Your life will bring peace rather than stress. And your health, both physical and mental, will undoubtedly improve.

So let’s get started with these 79 mindfulness quotes. Read each word carefully. Take in every sentence. And be mindful of the meaning behind them.

79 Mindfulness Quotes for a More Mindful Life

1. “If it’s out of your hands, it deserves freedom from your mind too.” – Ivan Nuru

2. “Mindfulness is a way of befriending ourselves and our experience.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn

3. “Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future; live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

4. “The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment. That’s all there ever is.” – Eckhart Tolle

5. “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha

6. “Mindfulness clears the windshield of the mind so that we can see things as they really are.” – Travis Eliot

7. “The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn

8. “Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality.” – Robin Sharma

9. “Paradise is not a place; it’s a state of consciousness.” – Sri Chinmoy

10. “Visualize your highest self and start showing up as him/her.” – Ali Owens

11. “We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.” – Max Depree

12. “Mindfulness is the aware, balanced acceptance of the present experience. It isn't more complicated that that. It is opening to or receiving the present moment, pleasant or unpleasant, just as it is, without either clinging to it or rejecting it.” – Sylvia Boorstein

13. “Many people are alive but don’t touch the miracle of being alive.” – Thích Nhất Hạnh

14. “Wherever you are, be there totally.” – Eckhart Tolle

15. “To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is.” – Thích Nhất Hạnh

16. “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

17. “In today’s rush, we all think too much–seek too much–want too much–and forget about the joy of just being.” – Eckhart Tolle

18. “Look past your thoughts, so you may drink the pure nectar of This Moment.” – Rumi

19. “Mindfulness gives you time. Time gives you choices. Choices, skillfully made, lead to freedom.” – Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

20. “When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.” – Jack Kornfield

21. “If you surrender completely to the moments as they pass, you live more richly those moments.” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh

22. “In our times, it is radical to choose to sit still and be silent, to resist an identity of busyness, ceaseless motion, and noise, and to reclaim our sanity and humanity by coming home to ourselves.” – Sumi Loundon Kim

23. “Nothing is worth more than this day. You cannot relive yesterday. Tomorrow is still beyond your reach.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

24. “Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it.” – Eckhart Tolle

25. “You cannot control the results, only your actions.” – Allan Lokos

26. “Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.” – Pema Chödrön

27. “When you're quiet, everything settles on the floor of your mind like sediment in undisturbed still water.” – Megan Monahan

28. “Mindfulness isn’t difficult. We just need to remember to do it.” – Sharon Salzberg

29. “If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life. That is very serious!” – Thich Nhat Hanh

30. “A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it isn’t open.” – Frank Zappa

31. “Life is not lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute, day by dragging day, in all the small uncaring ways.” – Stephen Vincent Benet

32. “Mindfulness is a simple practice, but not an easy one … but you are worth doing hard things.” – Nicole Davis

33. “Life is a dance. Mindfulness is witnessing that dance.” – Amit Ray

34. “What would it be like if I could accept life – accept this moment – exactly as it is?” – Tara Brach

35. “Slow down, you'll get there faster.” – Katherine King

36. “How we pay attention to the present moment largely determines the character of our experience, and therefore, the quality of our lives.” – Sam Harris

37. “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes … including you.” – Anne Lamott

38. “Training your mind to be the present moment is the number one key to making healthier choices.” – Susan Albers

39. “Life is a preparation for the future; and the best preparation for the future is to live as if there were none.” – Albert Einstein

40. “Every time we ponder a thought, act on an impulse, or dwell on a desire, we are setting in motion a cause that will have a future effect. Mindfulness enables us to choose wisely.” – Tamara Levitt

Every time we ponder a thought, act on an impulse, or dwell on a desire, we are setting in motion a cause that will have a future effect. Mindfulness enables us to choose wisely.” – Tamara Levitt

41. “If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.” – Amit Ray

42. “Open the window of your mind. Allow the fresh air, new lights and new truths to enter.” – Amit Ray

43. “Mindfulness is deliberately paying full attention to what is happening around you– in your body, heart, and mind. Mindfulness is awareness without criticism or judgment.” – Jan Chozen Bays

44. “Step outside for a while – calm your mind. It is better to hug a tree than to bang your head against a wall continually.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru

45. “Ask yourself: Where am I? Answer: Here. Ask yourself: What time is it? Answer: Now. Say it until you can hear it.” – Ram Dass

46. “Cultivating a generous spirit starts with mindfulness. Mindfulness, simply stated, means paying attention to what is happening; it’s about what is really going on.” – Nell Newman

47. “A few simple tips for life: feet on the ground, head to the skies, heart open…quiet mind.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru

48. “When we allow ourselves to embrace the moment, we allow ourselves to live.” – Lisa Bien

49. “Be where you are, not where you think you should be.” – Unknown

50. “Practicing a mindful moment in the middle of the day, helps to bring you back to center, reset, and move into the rest of your day with greater clarity and focus.” – Christine Agro

51. “Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think.” – Buddha

52. “All your power resides in the now. Mindfulness is the best tool to tap you into that power.” – Anita M. Scott

53. “He who has freed himself of the disease of ‘tomorrow' has a chance to attain what he came here for.” – G.I. Gurdjieff

54. “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” – Buddha

55. “The stiller you are the calmer life is.” – Rasheed Ogunlaru

56. “Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” – Buddha

57. “Be happy in the moment. That is enough.” – Mother Teresa

58. “Few of us ever live in the present. We are forever anticipating what is to come or remembering what has gone.” – Louis L’Amour

59. “Give your attention to the experience of seeing rather than to the object seen and you will find yourself everywhere.” – Rupert Spira

60. “The feeling that any task is a nuisance will soon disappear if it’s done in mindfulness.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

61. “The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.” – Tara Brach

62. “Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So relax.” – Bryant McGill

63. “The future is always beginning now.” – Mark Strand

64. “The mind is just like a muscle– the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets, and the more it can expand.” – Idowu Koyenikan

66. “Think about the practice of meditation as zoning in, as opposed to spacing out.” – Susie Levan

65. “Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.” – Sonia Ricotti

67. “Mindfulness helps us to live in harmony with our thoughts, words, and actions.” – Amit Ray

68. “The place to be happy is here. The time to be happy is now.” – Robert G. Ingersoll

69. “Do every act of your life as though it were the very last act of your life.” – Marcus Aurelius

70. “Few of us ever life in the present. We are forever anticipating what is to come or remembering what has gone.” – Louis L'Amour

71. “You can’t stop the waves but you can learn how to surf” – Jon Kabat-Zinn

72. “Every time we become aware of a thought, as opposed to being lost in a thought, we experience that opening of the mind.” – Joseph Goldstein

73. “One who is patient glows with an inner radiance.” – Allan Lokos

74. “Don't think your practice is right or wrong. Simply bring your whole heart to your practice.” – Michael Stone

75. “Let go of your mind and then be mindful. Close your ears and listen!.” – Jalaluddin Rumi

76. “Now is the future that you promised yourself last year, last month, last week. Now is the only moment you’ll ever really have. Mindfulness is about waking up to this.” – Mark Williams

77. “Sweetheart, you are in pain. Relax. Take a breath. Let’s pay attention to what is happening; then we’ll figure out what to do.” – Sylvia Boorstein

78. “When you're feeling frazzled, put all of your attention on the breath. It's a portal into the present moment, the best remedy for stress.” – Ellen Barrett

79. “Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).” – James Baraz

Final Thoughts on Being Mindful

We all dwell on the past and worry about the future. It’s human nature. But in doing so, we miss out on so many beautiful moments in the ‘now’.

And whilst we can’t change tomorrow’s stormy weather, we can learn to live a more mindful life. We can take time to notice the things around us, be aware of our movements and concentrate wholly on one task at a time.

Using these printable mindfulness worksheets will help you to become more mindful. And enjoy every moment that life has to offer. 

And if you want more inspirational quotes, be sure to check out these blog posts:

• 60 Good Vibes Quotes to Uplift Others
• 101 Zen Quotes on Life, Love, and Death
• 51 Gratitude Quotes for Kids to Show Them Thankfulness

Finally, if you want to use these quotes to make a lasting change to your life, then check out and recite these 57 affirmations for success.