Here's One!

I read this in my email at work today - and determined that it was something I wanted to share here - and now look - I remembered it and am sharing it!  Woot! :)

The years of our life do not arrive all at once; they greet us day by day. With the descent of each setting sun, we are able to rest our heads and let the world take care of itself for a while. We may rest assured throughout the night, knowing that the dawn will bring with it a chance to meet our lives anew, donning fresh perspectives and dream-inspired hopes. The hours that follow, before we return to sleep once more, are for us to decide how we want to live and learn, laugh and grow. Our lives are sweeter and more manageable because we must experience them this way: one day at a time.

Imagine the future stretching out before you and try to notice if you feel any tension or overwhelm at the prospect of the journey still to come. Perhaps you have recently made a lifestyle change, like beginning a new diet or quitting smoking, and the idea of continuing this healthy new behavior for years seems daunting. Maybe you have started a new job or are newly married and can feel an undercurrent of anxiety about your ability to succeed. If you can shift your focus from what may happen years down the line and return it to the day that is before you right now, you may find a measure of calm and renewed confidence in your capabilities. You may also discover an inner faith that the future will take care of itself.

The way we show up for our lives today and tomorrow has an enormous affect on who we will be and what we will be experiencing years from now. If we can remain fully engaged in the day at hand, enjoying all it has to offer and putting our energy into making the most of it, we will find that we are perfectly ready and capable to handle any future when it arrives.

This was the DailyOM for today, entitled "Stepping Stones, One Day At A Time".  It struck me on many levels.  First, the obvious, that I need to live in the present moment, fully aware and in that moment.  Worrying about the future or the past doesn't serve me well.

And that led me to thinking about little and big things alike that I allow myself to get caught up in.  One simple example is the last entry I made, where I'm trying to figure out how to remember to blog more of the things in my head.  Perhaps I don't need to worry about it.  Perhaps it's OK to write when I remember to, or have time too, and it's OK to not write also.  And perhaps, if I decide I really want to blog more, it's OK that I write about things that aren't always fascinating.  Maybe it's OK if I write about mundane things.

I think that final paragraph really spoke to me - although the whole thing spoke volumes.  But the idea that worrying about the future can actually cause problems in the future is not new (we've all heard of self-fulfilling prophecies) but it was a thought I needed to be reminded of today.  And the words used - "The way we show up for today has enormous affect on what we will experience in the future" (paraphrased) - captured my attention.  Perhaps just hearing a well-known thought expressed in a different way can make me sit up and take notice.

I also really like the way the first sentence is worded, the way it rolls off my tongue, the way the words reassure and calm.  "The years of our life do not arrive all at once; they greet us day by day."  They grab me, and remind me that the future unfolds slowly.  The words also tell me that the future will "greet " me - cheerfully and pleasantly, and isn't something I have to dread or fear.

So there you go - something that may not be very fascinating for anyone besides me, but it was a reading that I needed at a time I needed it, and I REMEMBERED to share it after I got home from work.  I'm happy with myself and proud.  No pouting today.  I think I will give myself a gold star!

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