BY DR. GLENN MOLLETTE
Life is one day at a time. You don’t have tomorrow. You hope for tomorrow, but it’s not guaranteed. We plan for tomorrow. We save for tomorrow and look forward to tomorrow.
Today is what we have. If today is the last day of your life, how is it going? If you knew for sure, how would you want to spend your last precious 24 hours? You wouldn’t be planning next year’s vacation. No, you would want to get in all that you could possibly do. Only you know for sure how you would want to spend your day, and everyone is different. Maybe you would spend your day with loved ones, or maybe you would want to be strolling in the mountains or by the oceanside. Maybe you would want to spend your day eating ice cream, hamburgers and pizza. If it’s your last day, then why not?
I like ice cream, hamburgers and pizza, but my doctor doesn’t recommend them as a daily diet because of the hopes of tomorrow. There are ways that we can shorten our days, and too much of what we enjoy is not always very good for us.
Since life is one day at a time, we can’t go back and repeat yesterday. All the good you did is in the past. All the mistakes you made are in the past. You can spend the rest of your life wishing you could repeat high school, college or an old relationship. Actually, you are better off if you don’t sit around and think about it all the time. It’s good to remember the good memories of family, friends, life’s successes and joys, but they are in the past. This often makes us sad because we know we can’t relive some of those great moments of life. It’s best to give thanks for them and move forward.
Today is a good day to make some more memories – good ones. Living your life today, regardless of what you are doing, is the life you have. Make the best of it by enjoying your life. Do what you enjoy. Be good to yourself. Don’t beat up on yourself. Don’t live your life fighting with others. Do your work. Find joy in your work or move on to a work you enjoy. Find ways to reduce stress and be happy.
Keep in mind that you can’t make everyone else happy – and don’t take on everyone else’s problems. You probably have enough of your own.
Be patient. All good things take time if they are worthwhile.
Finally, just in case you live a bunch more years, live today in such a way that you can look back and remember it as a good day.
Dr. Glenn Mollette is a graduate of numerous schools, including Georgetown College, Southern and Lexington Seminaries in Kentucky. He is the author of 13 books, including “Uncommon Sense,” “Grandpa’s Store,” “Minister’s Guidebook Insights from a Fellow Minister.” His column is published weekly in over 600 publications in all 50 states. Listen every weekday at 8:56 a.m. on XM radio 131, visit him online at glennmollette.com. “Grandpa’s Store” is a fun and adventure-filled story from the perspective of a child and young teen in the late 50s and early 70s, an era of simpler American small community life. Available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.