"I don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life as much as they are looking for the experience of being alive."

When philosopher Joseph Campbell said this, he clearly didn't mean being alive was just a matter of breathing and having a pulse, so what was he trying to convey?

After over four decades of contemplation, introspection, and reflections on hundreds of clinical counseling and coaching interactions, I've developed the belief that when we are truly alive, we are fully present in any given moment, aware, curious, and open to the vast possibilities of experience. This is clearly much more easily said than done.

But why?

As a society, we're certainly better off than any of our predecessors throughout history. We've cured many diseases that once limited life expectancy, technology has advanced our lifestyles further than anyone could have imagined, and we have access to knowledge and information like never before.

And yet we struggle. Statistics on mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and addiction are staggering. Loneliness and social isolation have become significant risk factors in early death.

What are we overlooking?

On This Life of Mine, author and historian Yuval Harari said that modern humans are always chasing the next exciting thing, believing in this false path to happiness and fulfillment. His grave concern is that when an organic entity is kept in a constant state of overstimulation, it will inevitably collapse and die.

We live in a time of extreme overstimulation. There are countless ways at our very fingertips to distract and take us out of the present moment. Food, drugs and alcohol, sex and porn, social media, chatrooms, online shopping, gambling and betting. The list goes on and on. We seem to be asleep or in a trance as we forgo creativity and authentic connection for the instant gratification and soothing of distraction.

What can we do?

The short answer is learning to be more present. And being present requires mindfulness. Before you cringe and roll your eyes at this overused and often clichéd term, consider it to simply mean non-judgmental awareness. We need to accept who and where we are, grant ourselves grace and equanimity, and create a deeper awareness of what we are thinking and feeling before we can create any form of change.

In my decades-long endeavor to better understand the Buddhist postulation of enlightenment, I've come to accept it as the unembellished truth of being completely and absolutely present, at all times. Of course, it's unrealistic to believe we can ever really achieve this, but with more moments of being present, we will feel more empowered in our lives and more grateful for the gifts we've been given.

There are several factors that contribute to the challenge of being present. Some are external, based on elements of our socialization, some are internal, based on our human biology (hormones and neurotransmitters), and some are based on each of our unique, individual histories and past experiences.

This column is an invitation to dive a bit deeper into these realms and create a more thorough understanding of why we struggle to stay present. I will offer suggestions for actions that might help reverse this trend. Mindset and flow, goals and values, alternative therapies, and different mindfulness practices are concepts that will be explored. My hope is that the journey toward being more present will become a bit more palatable and possibly more intriguing.

Joseph Campbell is perhaps more widely known for his statement, "Follow your bliss." His words are, yet again, left open to interpretation. For me, bliss is about freedom, serenity, and peace of mind. In order to attain these states of being, we must work toward being more present.