In the last eight hours I've spoken to a crowd of 4,000 people, ate a basket of bbq wings at a cash only hole-in-the-wall, met a guy named Kevin, and played three games of chess on my phone.
In the next sixteen hours I'll fly to another state, rent a car, and revisit a small town coffee shop I found while working the same event last year.
When I describe my days like this my life sounds full, vibrant, meaningful. Oftentimes, I struggle to see my life this way.
I think about all the things I have yet to accomplish that I thought I'd have done by now.
I think about all the things I wasted my time on instead of working towards the things I wanted to accomplish.
I think about how many years have passed since certain events or milestones in my life. I think about how many years I have left.
Then I remind myself of all that can be accomplished in the next 24 hours and life seems full and exciting again. And I tell myself to take life one day at a time.
Taking things "one day at a time" isn't just a coping mechanism to deal with tragedy or treating an addiction (although it is effective in doing so). When we view life through the lens of the next 24 hours, we begin valuing moments more. We are able to see clearly how important it is to hold the door open for a stranger and how unimportant it is to gas it so we can make this yellow light.
Life can feel overwhelmingly long and suffocatingly short all at the same time. Time is beyond our control, but how we view time is not.
If you feel overwhelmed by all you haven't done or all there is yet to do, just take a deep breathe and take it one day at a time.
Action
Think of a great day you've had recently. List everything you did that day.
Question
What will you do with the next 24 hours?
Quote
“Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.”
- Mother Teresa