It’s only by appreciating what we have, who we are and where we are that we can begin to start planning with any confidence for our future. The here and now is a guide to the then and there. The connections must not be ignored. One without the other can result in confusion and disappointment.
Understanding is what leads to appreciation and understanding takes effort. That makes today vital. When this day passes it will never return. What we do with what this day offers us – both good and bad – can very much determine what it is that tomorrow brings.
We get one chance at today. We should not squander it. That need not be a daunting thought. Tomorrow will be our fresh today bringing with it its own promise and opportunity. Despite that we must not be complacent.
If we concentrate on the negativity, the setback and the disappointments in our day then we are depleting our mental and physical resources, restricting our potential to cope with future challenges. We run the risk of setting ourselves up for future failure.
A key to survival is gratitude. Finding something good and positive in the day and giving it the acknowledgement it warrants boosts both optimism and happiness. It’s only when we think better that we can feel better.
The people around us can try and tell us what to think and they can have some influence over us. But only we can control how we think. It’s personal. And we can decide to change the way we think. Having decided, we can then do something about it.
There’s some comfort in the knowledge that we can learn from our mistakes; that we can grow and change because of the experience. But there’s real reassurance in the understanding that an attitude of gratitude can uplift and sustain us.
Gary Bentley Counselling 