by Tim Connor
For years I’ve been reading, contemplating and writing about the importance of NOW. As I once again was considering this important concept I had a few thoughts that I thought I would share with you.
Yesterday is gone with all of its mistakes, errors, good and bad decisions, pleasures and adventures whether positive or negative. Yes we all have memories both good and bad stored in our minds forever but the actual events, experiences and activities are history. By history, I mean they are gone, never to be re-visited in reality. Yes, we may re-visit them again and again in our present thoughts whether they are self-tormenting or bring a smile to our face, but again I say – they are gone, forever.
It’s a pleasure to often remember these positive thoughts and memories and it is nothing, but agonizing to continue to remember and re-live the negative ones over and over in our now moments. These negative ones continue to steal from the pleasures, joy and peace that await us with each new day and each new beginning.
I have had a sign on my desk for several years that says simply, “Every day my new life begins. He that sent me will help me live each moment with peace, love, wisdom, faith and gratitude.” Remaining stuck in our yesterdays is a complete waste of time even if you are thinking, re-living or re-considering even the positive experiences of the past. At the risk of being redundant – They are gone forever.
Let me skip ahead to tomorrow before I focus on today.
Tomorrow – awaits in the wings with all of its promise, uncertainty, dreams hopes and yes, fears.
Tomorrow is a clean slate unless of course you bring all of the baggage from yesterday into your today’s therefore sabotaging the good that awaits that the future may hold. As I have said yesterday is gone, but it always lingers in the back of our mind ready to pounce on the joys and peace that could be waiting for us around the next corner.
Nothing tomorrow is guaranteed. Tomorrow is nothing more than a promise, a promise that can be broken in the flash of an instant due to any number of uncertain and potential challenges, issues, successes or heartaches.
The death of a loved one can not be predicted tomorrow. You can’t hug your child tomorrow. You can tell someone you love them tomorrow. You can’t laugh tomorrow. You can’t do anything tomorrow and why not? Because there is no guarantee you will be here tomorrow. Living in tomorrow is a common mistake many people make and why? They are unhappy with today. They want tomorrow to be better than yesterday or today. They want more happiness tomorrow. They want less pain tomorrow and they want more success love and happiness tomorrow. Sorry folks tomorrow is nothing more than an illusion. Yes, you can plan, hope, dream and desire but again – tomorrow is an illusion with no certainty that you will be here to enjoy it or fear it.
So, we are left with today with all of its pain, contentment, disappointments, stress, frustrations, laughter, fun, fears, dreams, hopes and the reality that now, today, this moment is all we have. And our choice is simply how will we live our today’s? With gratitude and wonder or pain and fear. Life comes to each of us one moment at a time and it’s our choice as to how we will interpret these moments and the events, people and circumstances that life brings to us each minute.
Life doesn’t wait. Life doesn’t care. Life is neutral. Life doesn’t punish. Life doesn’t reward. Life just happens one moment at a time and we can live each moment or we can choose to lose these moments by spending time in either the past or the future.
Both the past and the future are illusions, they don’t exist. The present is real only if you chose to show up during each of your moments. Putting something, anything off until tomorrow is a mistake. Spending today re-living those past moments of yesterday wastes the only thing you really have in life – NOW.
Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally-renowned sales, management and leadership speaker, trainer and bestselling author. Since 1981, he has given over 4000 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales, management, leadership and personal and business relationship topics. Tim has been a member of the National Speakers Assn for over 30 years. He is the bestselling author of over 75 books including the international best sellers Soft Sell, Corporate Disconnect, 81 Challenges Managers Face, Your First Year in Sales and Life Is Short. He can be reached at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
704-895-1230 or visit his websites at www.timconnor.com and www.CorporateDisconnect.com. Connect with Tim on FaceBook, LinkedIin and Twitter.