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Live for TODAY

Albert Einstein once said, "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow." The vaunted theoretical physicist was not only succinct, but spot on.

By learning from yesterday -- and what's implied is really learning from our mistakes -- we can create a better, more fruitful today. But we must guard against the impulse to dwell on those things we did wrong. Instead, we should see the start of a new day as akin to turning the page -- the chance to start anew. Yesterday is no more. Focus on what you can do TODAY so that it turns out to be an even better day than yesterday was.

While no one likes to admit they've made a mistake, we're only human. As long as we recognize what we did wrong and aim to right the ship so that history doesn't repeat itself, we come out stronger and wiser in the end.

Moreover, life is a precious gift -- one that can be taken away at any moment. We really don't know when it'll be our time to bid this world adieu, which is why Einstein implies that tomorrow is not guaranteed. As cliché as it may sound, we most certainly ought to seize the day. Quit putting your goals on hold for that "perfect" time, whether it's losing a weight, proposing to your partner, or launching a new business. Start today so that you're one step closer to achieving them.

The quote echoes one of this blog's most popular topics -- the importance of practicing mindfulness. It is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. Harping on the past and fretting about the future are no more when you're in a state of mindfulness. No judging, no negativity.

Why fixate on the past? It's gone. You can't change what's come to pass, but you can certainly influence what's happening in the present.

Why brood over the future? It hasn't gotten here and you have no control over it. While there's nothing wrong in planning for the future, the key is not live in the future. As with the past, if you're too focused on future events, you miss out on today.

When things aren't going too well, our minds have a tendency to wander to the past or drift way ahead into the future. Little do we know that the surest way to feel happy is live in the here and now. The past helps make us wiser, the future helps make us optimistic, but it's really the present that affords us the opportunity to enjoy life.
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