I was at a monastery in the mountains of northern Malaysia. The area was packed with people who'd come to celebrate Kathina. I'd woken up at 5:30 AM to arrive in time. It was raining steadily and we were huddling under a tin roof. Grumpy and overstimulated, I started reading a free pamphlet so I could have something to focus on.

Most, although not all, of what one experiences is the result of one's previous karma, and how one responds to the present experience will generate new karma.

In this dynamic interplay between experiencing results from the past and responding in the present, we literally create our own future, moment by moment. Karma is not fate, and the present moment is where there is the possibility of freedom.

I realized this applied to my experience in that very moment.

"It's very early, I haven't had any coffee, and I'm getting rained on. I'm having a bad time."

The first three things are facts, but the meaning that I give them is not a fact. It's a mental construction based on my past experiences, and it only persists because I'm unconsciously reinforcing it. As soon as I noticed, my "bad time" became a practice opportunity.

With presence of mind, we can work with subtle thoughts and feelings as they arise rather than replaying the past. It's a skill, and meditation practice develops that skill.

Just a tiny moment of presence can make a small difference in how you feel. And many small differences add up to big shifts.