It is a day in between “the dead yesterdays” and “the unborn tomorrows”. It is the day that actually matters. It is the day that can make changes and create new possibilities. It is also the day that some of us, me for example, frequently ignored after drowning in the past guilt and anxiety towards the future. There are so many books in the market about the power of now, teaching us how to live in the moment, even just how to breath. It is quite ironic that after years of higher education and on the job training, we start to forget about the basics. It’s like what my mom used to nag to me when I was 10, “Drink water!” “Eat your vegetables!” “Go to bed early!”
I have a checklist app on my phone and a daily agenda in my bag, aiming to keep myself on track of all the house tasks. I use the “Tasks” function on Microsoft outlook at work to list all my to-dos on the job. Every morning, I layout all these little checkboxes in front of me and I always feel suffocated when I don’t end up checking all the box by the end of the day. And I never do. Because there are always new boxes needed to be added onto my lists every day. Day by day, I can no longer keep up with my checkboxes. So my mental power starts to suffer.
Here is the problem with my problem. I forgot to give myself credit for the boxes that I checked off. You know what? Some days, even one box is enough. I accomplished it. Gold Star! We all need to be our own “supportive parent” in life; be that mom/dad who always cheers for every little accomplishment you made-even for the “Participation Award” in class. As little as it sounds, it means that you showed up for it. You took one step today, one more step than yesterday towards your goal, and that IS enough.
Live one minute at a time, one task at a time, take one breath at a time, enjoy one today at a time. And that is the conscious life we were craving for. It is right here in your hand, in today.
