A long drive in the rain

Stormy weather

Storm clouds gather

What about tomorrow?

A lifetime spans many hours, days and years, but there is only one day in which it is possible to live. That day is today. We live each day from moment to moment, minute to minute and hour to hour. No matter how we think about our lives, there is but a single moment in which we exist.

Whatever went before has passed and cannot be changed. Tomorrow is still ahead and is out of our control. The only time that is within our control is today.

We all have hopes, fears and perhaps a few regrets. We may long for days that have gone. We may wish to change decisions that have already been made. We have hopes and fears about the future. Often too much time is spent worrying about the future.

Spending too much time pondering the past or worrying about the future is the one obstacle that prevents many of us from fully lining our lives in the only time we can today. Each day is a gift that is gone too soon. Today will never be repeated. Each day represents a valuable part of our lives and we should strive to make it valuable. That means not postponing for tomorrow what we can do today.

Living for today does not mean that we should cast aside our dreams and plans for the future. Dreaming and planning are practical actions that we can do today that will help us to realise our hopes and aspirations. Today, we can lay the foundations. We can begin the process of building. We can dream and formulate our ideas.

Planning for the future should never replace living and enjoying each moment of each day. While there is a time for sadness and mourning this will pass. There is also a place for special memories. But the gift of today the only time that we ever live should not be squandered away. The future will always be an unknown.

What we don't do today may be done later, perhaps never. Even with the best laid plans tomorrow is full of surprises. Anything can happen at anytime.

Then there is always the possibility that today will be your last chance to speak to an aging aunt, a long lost friend or someone that is very close.

Many planned a holiday of a lifetime in Thailand in 2004. The morning of December 26 began like any other but the peace and tranquillity of the day was broken by a huge wave sweeping across the islands. Many thousands of people perished. Their families have not seen them since.

Each of us has a responsibility to face life in the best way we can. In doing so it is best to do it one day at a time. We cannot deal with a whole lifetime that lies ahead, but we are able to deal very effectively with today.

Sandton

Sunset

The road to Pretoria