“One day at a time, this is enough. Don’t look back or grieve over the past, because it’s gone, and don’t worry about the future, because it hasn’t come yet. Live in the present and do it.” so beautiful it will be worth remembering.” ~Ida Scott Taylor

Before you know it, our life on this earth will end as quickly as it began. Now, what if this article ended right here? Wouldn’t you feel cheated? That’s how your soul feels… disappointed every time you focus all your energy on the past or the future. Your soul cries out, “How about today? How about now? Is there no more for me today?” What are you feeding your soul with, this day, this hour, this very minute?

Your body needs nutrients, but your soul also needs daily nutrition. Perhaps your soul feels remorse, fear and guilt over the past, so you constantly regret everything you could, could, should have done and never fully get over the past. Some people obsess over what is no longer…the old side of “the old days” and mourn the past “what might have been”. Her longing reminds me of the song “I’m so lonely I could cry.” “Listen to that lonely Whip-poor-will, he sounds too blue to fly.”

At the opposite end of the past, we have the future, “the squirrel who is just trying to get a nut”, the person who is always in a hurry and focused on the future, such as the next date, future calendar events, etc. it is also the one who simply does not think about today and is “tuned in” to what is happening around him “now” and only fantasizes about the future. And don’t forget the middle ground… the person he’s never satisfied with today. When today is not good enough and tomorrow will always be better… but it happens every day. The one who is caught up in a storm of stress or overwhelming responsibilities and is immobilized today. How many times have you said, “I wish I had done things differently?” You can’t change the past (we hear it all the time), so “forget it!” C’est fini! Write it down as “lessons learned” and move on. If you want to change something… change today, because come tomorrow, this day will be past. Go ahead and focus on what’s in front of you… a new day!

Our lives are not about yesterday or tomorrow, it is about today. There is nothing wrong with remembering good memories, we all remember great moments from the past. But, when you focus on the negativity of the past, the present goodness “now” has no room to intervene. Why not continue creating amazing memories right now? Today can’t be like the movie “Back to the Future” and we don’t have a “flux capacitor” to take us back in time. Yes, that would be something if we could go back in time to right the wrongs of the past or go back physically to enjoy the fondness of great memories again, but we all know that’s not going to happen! Our lives are not fictional movies, our lives are non-fictional realities. We have to be realistic here. Have you ever heard of an unconscious person being slapped in the face to wake them up? Perhaps some of us are unconscious living beings as the day passes right before us.

Regret of the past will only stop you from today. When we focus on a sense of loss, disappointment, or anguish over something that happened yesterday, we are missing out on precious moments to make new changes today. For some people, even taking things one day at a time can feel like climbing a mountain. The work and thoughts of the day are too much, so they go back to thinking about anything other than the present moment. Before you know it, you are daydreaming about something that happened in the past or you are escaping into the future. To focus on today, think of the mountain as a small hill and slow down, breathe and focus. Sure, it might very well be a mountain, but don’t focus on the top because you’ll miss what’s in between. And, if you spend too much time at the bottom looking up (into the future), you’ll never get to the middle or the top because everything will seem too overwhelming.

The view from the top of any goal is an amazing sight; there you have the full spectrum: the past, the middle and the top. It’s productive to have goals, but you don’t have to lose your seat for the day while working on your goal. Focus on what is in front of you at the moment and allow your work to produce results. We have to do it, no one else can or will do it for us. The future will come, trust me. Slow down and breathe. Enjoy today, before the future is yourself looking out the window of a nursing home. Unfortunately, in those places there is not much future or present, only the past. Enjoy the life you have now. So many seniors just wish they could have today’s moments and relive their youth.

Think about what your thoughts are every hour of the day, every minute of the day. What do you focus your energy on? What do you focus your valuable time on? Do you focus on the past, the present, the future, or all three? Why waste all your mental energy on the past when it can’t be changed? Why spend all your mental thoughts on the future when it is unpredictable? A useful tool for staying focused today is a “to-do list.” Focus on projects one day at a time, small goals that are part of a larger goal, and even include positive words of encouragement to cross off; i.e. focus, positive, happy, energetic, determination, commitment, etc. Cross it off as you complete that task for the day. If you didn’t finish it, leave it there for the next day…eventually you’ll have a day where you can cross it off. And you can always add it back the next day “to do it” again.

They are goals to strive for and achieve… positive words are never “failures”. You don’t fail if you didn’t manage to cross out the word “happy” for that day. Stop being so hard on yourself!! As long as a word is on your “to-do list” and not crossed out, it is and always will be possible! A “to-do list” is a great visual tool to clear your mind and free up mental energy to focus on the day ahead and the task at hand. You’ll feel a sense of control and accomplishment when you check off tasks. Take action with a “just do it” attitude and be YOUR change for today. One day, one hour, one minute at a time. Enjoy the “now”, enjoy today!

“One of the greatest evils of the day among those who are out or in prison is their sense of futility, young people say, what is the point of our little effort? They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time; we can only be responsible for the single action of the present moment.” ~Dorothy’s Bay