People were designed to live in the present.
The past and the future make little sense because we aren’t meant to live in either one.
We view the past through lenses of bitterness or nostalgia, watching for someone we used to know or waiting for something to jog our memory and remind us of a better day.
We experience the future through sieves of hope or dread. I look forward to things that may or may not exist, to “futures” that I envision so often that they become goals to reach. Goals that aren’t real.
People were designed to live within the present.
Of course I learn from my past. All of the journeys I’ve already walked become part of my journey now. And I plan for the future.
But I am beginning to believe that the only way I can take the most out of life is to live now.
So I want to take back today. I don’t want to live regretting the laundry I didn’t fold yesterday or dreading the pile I have tomorrow. I want to fix the battery-powered horse of this afternoon and watch it walk across the kitchen floor not concerning myself that it might not work tomorrow. I want to talk to my husband today and laugh with him, forgetting about the words we exchanged yesterday morning.
I don’t want to live in tomorrow or last night. I want to take my today back.
Beautifully written. I am reading a book by Eckhart Tolle titled “A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose” and it is all about living in the now. Thanks for sharing…
Awesome post… you put my heart thoughts to words yet again, Sarah.
today is a gift. great post, sarah.
Today is a gift, but I have to be reminded of that every single day. Life rushes by far too quickly, and both the past and the future can steal us of today if we let it. I’m with you, I’m taking back today!
MMMmm. Well said.
As a pastor I’m continually looking ahead, praying that God’s preferrable “more” would find its way into the now.
One of my life’s mantras is, “Do one thing at a time with all your heart.” If I’m talking to my wife, then do that. If I’m tucking in my son, don’t be thinking about the CSI episode I’m missing.
I know, I know… men can’t multi-task as well as women, so it’s easy for me to say… but there are days when multitasking kills our hearts, I’m convinced of it.
Thank you for the reminder of how important right now is. I can’t handle tomorrow yet, and quite frankly yesterday is over and gone, but you are so right we have today!
-Andrea
HI~
Great writing, I enjoyed reading it. I am learning how to slow down and enjoy NOW!!!
Debra
this is so true Sarah! i find myself often thinking of the past or looking to the future instead of living in the moment – where I should be!
Beautiful. I need to read this everyday! I’m getting better though… I’m a work in progress.
I think that is why I love running so much. When I am running, I am able to enjoy that moment. If I could apply this to everything else, I would be doing alright!
i was thinking today about a song idea. pulling together the phrases “make it last” and “make it count” – to show that we can’t always make the moment last, but we CAN make it count.
anyway. yeah. life happens too quickly, and if we’re constantly looking over our shoulder or around the bend, we will totally miss the Holy Ground that we are standing on.