Achieving full acceptance of the now is important, and we should all strive for it, but it's only half of the equation.

The only constant is change. The universe is dynamic by definition. I think this is your missing ingredient, @dantheman. One can be fully at peace with now, but now must change, and humans are empowered not only with the ability to influence that change, but also the ability to imagine what we want now to change into and to construct and implement a plan to effect that change. Do not confuse acceptance of now with the proposition that now is perfect.

Perfection is a contradiction. Perfection would be the singular, optimal state of the universe, but the universe cannot remain in one state, nor can it ever return to a state it has been in before. Perfection, in order to be perfect, must be sustainable, but no state can be maintained or revisited, therefore perfection cannot exist.

Given that everything must change, and that we have the power to shape that change, and that we have subjective preferences (i.e. comfort over discomfort, pleasure over pain, satiety over hunger, security over danger), we might as well change the universe to a state that maximizes our preferred circumstances, for ourselves and others (since these preferences are not zero-sum). Having done this, we are free to engage in whatever pursuits we each find fulfilling in the moment.

We should accept the now, but also the knowledge that now must change.