I think that most of human suffering can be explained in two very simple concepts: FEAR of tomorrow and REGRET for the past. What do you think? It is my belief that most people today are living in a fog of what MIGHT BE and not what IS. We spend countless hours planning for the future and put conditions on happiness: I will be happy when I get a raise. I will be happy when I find my calling in life. I will be happy once my bills are paid. I will be happy once I find my soul mate. I will be happy once I've lost some weight...and so on. We worry about tomorrow's problems before tomorrow even gets here. We think that we are the ones running the show, but this is quite wrong. GOD is running things. All we must do is get up, get dressed, and face life, ONE DAY AT A TIME. Life does not exist in the future. Life exists NOW. Life is happening in the PRESENT. One reason we are unhappy is because our minds are focused on tomorrow.
Many people also suffer because they hold on to yesterday. They worry that they said the wrong thing, missed an opportunity, or feel that they would have been better off had they been in the right place at the right time. Yesterday is gone forever. There are no rewind buttons in life. THIS IS IT, this is what we've got...TODAY. I personally refuse to take all the mistakes, misfortunes, and mishaps of yesterday into TODAY. The great thing about living ONE DAY AT A TIME is that each new day is a BRAND NEW opportunity to live my life the way that I want. I get a clean slate each and every morning, but I can ruin today by worrying about tomorrow and regretting yesterday. With one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow, I am pissing all over TODAY.
Just for today, do your best to KEEP YOUR HEAD WHERE YOUR FEET ARE. If you are sitting in a meeting, BE IN THAT MEETING. If you are washing the dishes, WASH THE DISHES. If you are walking the dog, by all means WALK THE DOG. Get into the habit of being mindful of each and every moment. We are each given the exact same number of hours each day...how will you spend yours?
If you are so inclined, a portion of my book CHOPPING WOOD & CARRYING WATER is available at http://www.freedomthroughchange.com This little devotional will be available for free this weekend. I encourage you to download it, read it, and give me some feedback!
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