Tomorrow

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” - Mother Theresa

Well, here we are again!  A sincere season's greetings and depending on when you’re reading this, a happy new year to you and yours!

I’ll try to keep this post a short one as I know it’s a busy time of year for most.  That said, I thought it might be nice to use this space to take a different look at the end of the year and the inevitable and uniquely human trait of reflecting on what’s been and what’s yet to come, be it simply tomorrow or as we often do at this time of year…the year ahead.  The following was sent to me by someone who is very dear to me.  It’s by an unknown author and I’ve adapted the language slightly over time so that it better speaks to my own mindset but I wanted to share it with you just the same. 

There are two days at any point in time about which we should never allow ourselves to feel anxiety, two days which should be kept free from longing, regret, fear and apprehension.

The first is yesterday…with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains, perhaps even it’s triumphs. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.  All the resources in the world could not bring back yesterday.  We can’t improve a single outcome, undo a single act or erase a single word.  Yesterday is gone.

The other day is tomorrow with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise or poor performance…no matter how probable. Tomorrow is beyond our immediate control.  Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise.  Until it does, we should place no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.

This leaves only one day…today.  Any of us can fight the battles of just one day; it is only when we add the burdens of those two awful eternities, yesterday and tomorrow, that we’re overcome.  It is not the weight of today that burdens us, it’s the remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday and the forethought of what tomorrow may bring.  Instead, we must learn yesterday’s lessons and position ourselves for whatever tomorrow brings…by focussing on the things within our control, today.

When we do this, we remove the weight of a lifetime of yesterdays and move forward unburdened, confident that we’ve done everything in our power to succeed and build momentum through whatever tomorrow brings.

As you consider the idea of New Year’s resolutions, you may find that this brings new perspective…I know I did.  All the best.