Mindfulness is the heart of the practice, beginning with being present with oneself and living in the present moment. It helps to free the mind from the past, the future, worries, and anger, bringing freedom and the ability to touch life right now. Thich Nhat Hanh emphasizes that living in the present does not mean losing oneself in material ambitions, but being awake and mindful. He also warns that destroying the body with alcohol and drugs is not living in the present. In his book “Your Appointment with Life,” he emphasizes keeping the appointment with life. Mindfulness helps avoid being pulled back into the past, the future, and areas of worry. He stresses that each day is an appointment with life, and diligent practice helps to experience the richness of life. Without the teacher, friends, and the Sangha, we easily lose mindfulness and become slaves to afflictions. He also emphasizes checking at the end of the day to see how much we have connected with life, avoiding letting negative emotions take over. He encourages trying to do better each day than the day before, not to blame oneself. Mindfulness helps us keep our appointment with life and avoid missing it.