Last
week, I wished you a week of making the most of each day and taking time at the
end of each day to rate yourself on how well you were able to live in the
moment – not living in the past or dreading the future. How did that go for you?
I know for me, just the reminder to myself to Live for Today took the angst and
frustration out of a couple situations. Hope it helped you as well!
“Be so busy loving your life that you have not time for
hate and regret.” I thought this was a great quote and timely as well. It’s one
I read on Inspirational Quotes. This past week, Jon and I celebrated Jason’s 37th
birthday and also learned of the death of a high school friend who I’ve stayed
in touch with all these years.
The birthdays of our children always fill me with memories
of the years watching them grow up. It’s interesting that the memories center
around the fun, the celebrations, the milestones, the excitement watching them
maneuver adulthood, then marriage, and now parenting. Were there times of
frustration and worry? Of course, but that’s not what fills my memories. It
truly is not having time for anything other than love in my life.
Unfortunately, there are also those times we have sorrow.
Bill and his wife Gail were high school sweethearts, my friends, they have two
sons who are married and three grandchildren. Bill was diagnosed with
esophageal cancer only about 8 months ago and just lost his life. It’s another wakeup
call that each day is a precious gift from God so we shouldn’t waste it. We
never know when something will happen and unfortunately it usually takes a
tragedy for that wakeup call to happen.
Why is it we get these wakeup calls; go through a myriad
of emotions, yet then “life takes over” and we go back to same-old/same-old? Why
can’t we capture those feelings of valuing our life, valuing our family,
valuing all that we have etc. every day? I
would venture to guess that if we truly lived in the moment, if we truly lived
as though each and every day matters we would be closer to living the life we
are meant to live.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny
matters compared to what lies within us.” Walt Emerson.
John Maxwell’s book, Today Matters, begins with a
list. See how many of these you already
are doing on a daily basis and those you could add to your “just for today”
list:
Just for today… I
will choose and display the right attitudes.
Just for today… I
will know and follow healthy guidelines.
Just for today… I
will communicate with and care for my family.
Just for today… I
will practice and develop good thinking.
Just for today… I
will earn and properly manage finances.
Just for today… I
will deepen and live out my faith.
Just for today… I
will plan for and model generosity.
Just for today… I
will seek and experience improvements.
THEN
ONE DAY… I will see the
compounding results of a day lived well.
I wish you your first week of consistently living your “just for today” list. If you
do this then when those sorrowful times come, you can embrace that sorrow - it’s
not a wakeup call. After all, YOU are living a life consistently present
without regret.
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