Look to This Day

 

Look to this day
For it is life,
The very life of life.
In its brief course lie all
The realities and verities of existence,
The bliss of growth,
The splendor of action,
The glory of power-

For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is only a vision,
But today, well lived,
Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

                                 -Sanskrit Proverb

I read this poem every day as part of my morning ritual to remember my real life is happening today.

The message is quite simple: life is in the here and now moments.

The more I remind myself of this, the more I believe it, and the more I live it. 

We have a choice about what to focus on and how we are going to live. I choose Now. This perspective has made it easier for me to give priority to what is important and meaningful in my life. 

Today is the day to focus on. There is no other time more real than the here and now. You can think about the past, the future, or both, but you live now, the present moment. 

You can examine your past to learn from it; transform pain and heal old wounds, just don't stay there. You can look to the future, to plan and commit to what's important for you, but again, don't stay there. Come back to the moment. Being here, now, is where your life is happening. Don't miss out on it.

Staying focused in the present is the best strategy I know to help you worry less about what happened in the past and fear less what might happen in the future. If your attention is on today, life becomes more manageable and you will see that for today you are able to be with things as they are. 

You will inevitably have setbacks and challenges, but what matters most is how willing you are to come back to the moment. When we let past hurts or current and future concerns dominate our present, we allow depressive and anxious thoughts back in. 

Change can only happen in the present, and this is the only time we have any control over. 

What does it take to keep our attention on the here and now? Willingness to learn. Openness to try. Then do it. Practice: frequently (often), regularly (daily), and intensely (strong effort). 

Practice looking at "what is" not "what if." If you get stuck on the what ifs, tell yourself you will face whatever happens and get through it. You can also keep it simple and state the truth: these are just thoughts, not facts. Your mind is engaging in habitual behavior. That's all it is. These basic tools work to bring us closer to something we all want- peace of mind.

Accepting the moment as it is, invites inner-peace and clarity and allows us to see our path much clearer. Awareness with deeper understanding will begin to emerge, making the possibility of change a reality.  

Look to this day, for it is life, the very life of life!

Source: 
The original source is generally attributed to kalidasa, an Indian Sanskrit poet and playwright during the 4th-5th Century A.D.

The poem is widely available on the web with slight variations.

Thank you for reading.