“This is the first day of the rest of your life.” - Matt Maher
If someone asked you about the most important day in your life, what would you say? Would you mention your birthday or your wedding day? Or perhaps, a day in the future when you’ve finally succeeded? If your answer is anything in the past or the future, you would be wrong because, the most important day of your life is the present, it’s today!
The statement might sound cliche or remind you that life’s too short and you only live once. However, it is none of that; it’s just the plain, simple truth. And it doesn’t matter if you’re reading this at the end of the day, getting ready for bed or if you’re stuck at work with your cold cup of coffee sitting forgotten amidst the pile of papers. It doesn’t matter where you are right now, what you’re doing right now or what plans you have for the rest of the day; today is, indeed, the most important day of your life.
Sure, a day in your past might have been the most glorious day you have experienced or a day in the future might seem much brighter than where you are stuck currently. But, your past is long gone and there is a long time to come before the future you’re dreaming of. The future is only speculation; the past is set in stone. You have no control over yesterday or the future. But you can take action right now. There are several options available to you right now. So, today is all you have left.
These options were available to you yesterday, and they will be available to you again tomorrow when you live your next day. That's not fully accurate, though. Tomorrow has an endless amount of options, minus the ones you had just now. You already have fewer alternatives than you did yesterday as of today. Therefore, today is the most crucial day of your life since you only have today to make a decision.
Many brilliant individuals with promising professions are sidetracked by a past they are powerless to change and an uncertain future. People desire complete control over the past, present, and future. You only have control over one thing, and that is what you are doing right now. There is nothing you can do to alter how past events have turned out, and it is impossible to predict what will occur in the upcoming year, month, or week. Your actions today, however, provide clarity. There is no assurance of tomorrow, and tomorrow won't be better unless you make today better.
From a business point of view, there is a principle that most successful business people use and that is known as “The Time Value of Money”. Investopedia defines this as, “The time value of money (TVM) is the concept that a sum of money is worth more now than the same sum will be at a future date due to its earnings potential in the interim i.e, A sum of money in the hand has greater value than the same sum to be paid in the future.”
This principle can also be used to prove that today is the most important and crucial day of your life. The decisions and choices you make today are worth much more than if you make the same decisions in the future. For example, if you choose to work out starting today, that is more valuable than if you decide to start working out next week, next month or next year. You are losing out on precious time when you refrain from making an important decision right now and postponing it to later. Your actions today are more valuable than if you waited till tomorrow to take them. First, do things today since you probably won't tomorrow. Second, start right away since the earlier you begin, the better you are and the more opportunities you will have.
Reset your life to zero everyday morning. Create the mindset that what you did yesterday doesn’t matter and that what you will do tomorrow doesn’t matter either. Live your life to the best each day and you will soon view life as a miracle; you’ll see each day as a blessing. You don't have to engage in worldly and meaningful activities every day. It is only essential that we constantly remind ourselves to lead active, moral lifestyles. Every choice we make passively rather than consciously is a squandered chance to celebrate our free will and independence.
People who constantly mention "someday" or "later" squander time and have unrealized potential. People who do this also provide justifications as they know that they are wasting the potential of the present. Either they are anticipating the ideal moment, delaying till they feel like it, or waiting because they believe someone or something is stopping them.
There are countless chances today. Don't lose sight of the chances in the now by being too preoccupied with the past and the future. At the same time, do not feel pressured into changing your life just because today is the most important day of your life. You don’t need to make radical changes, you just need to start making better choices and realising the opportunities that each new day brings. It is up to you to decide what you want today to be like and what kind of a person you want to be today so use that power and potential to its maximum and embrace that today is the most important day of your life.
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