“No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to listen to him play the same music.

Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. underground station, was organised by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

The experiment raised a number of questions most notably: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made… How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

Whilst the phrase Carpe Diem is a useful reminder to live each day fully, it’s not very practical since you can’t actually seize the day. What you can seize, however, is the moment. Life is a series of moments, and it’s the quality of each moment which determines the quality of our lives.

The revered psychologist Abraham Maslow said that each moment presents an opportunity, where we can either step forward into growth, or step back into safety. Whatever we decide to do with each moment, once it’s gone, it’s gone forever” ~ Sunil Bali