May 8, 2006  CHANGE YOUR PAST

As you grow older in life (am I there yet?) you inevitably ponder your past and wonder how you might have made better decisions here and there...

Yesterday as I was doing that, I thought of something so cool! You CAN change your past! I've always accepted the notion that you CAN NEVER change the past, so why stew over it? However, I'VE DISCOVERED A WAY TO CHANGE THE PAST!

First you must understand this: today is the past of your future. Ah, now you get it. OK, technically, you can't change what has already happened. But somewhere in your future you may be pondering this day and wishing you could change the decisions you made. So, change your past by changing your present, because your present is the past of your future. At some point in the future, this moment will be in your past. In fact, it already is. Therefore, we must not ponder things we cannot change (what has already happened); instead, we can change the future by doing things differently (if necessary) right now. Make right decisions. Your future self will thank you.

I keep thinking of a quote I found some time ago: "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." (Annie Dillard) It's so true. What you do every day, those little habits and decisions, determine how your whole life goes. Are you disciplined or undisciplined? Moral or immoral? Happy or sad?

I'll never forget the quote I read years ago by Mark Twain: "The trouble with life is that it's so damned daily." (Sorry if I offended your sensibilities--someone else said it, and the thing remains true despite the ugly word.) Life is a day-to-day, moment-to-moment task. Greatness doesn't come in a day. Riches don't come in a day (and if they do, Proverbs says they are just as quickly lost). Character isn't developed in a day. A habit certainly isn't made in a day.

What I'm saying is that TODAY IS IMPORTANT. Quit living for the weekend or the vacation or this or that. Sure, look forward to fun times. But don't forget about today. Today is what life is made of. Today is a memory made. TODAY IS THE PAST OF YOUR FUTURE. Change your past today.