Live For Today

Many years ago, I read a book that profoundly touched my life, “A Year To Live” by Stephen Levine. In the book, the author documents a one-year experiment as if he had one year to live. He starts to live each day as if it were his last. The concept of the book is to live consciously and mindfully, every single day, hour, and moment, as if it were our last. Throughout the year, he lives in the moment and enjoys life on a deeper level. Why worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow may never come, so then the focus becomes on the present. If we think about it, it is really funny. What is the use of continually thinking about where we are going next week? If we are so busy planning where we are going, we cannot fully enjoy where we are now. We will be in the same predicament when next week becomes a now. If our happiness consists of reviewing memories and expectations, we become dimly aware of the present. We have formed a habit of looking behind and ahead, making it difficult to appreciate the present. If our awareness of the past and future makes us less aware of the present, we must not be living in the real world. When you train your mind to be continually in the moment, your awareness becomes heightened. You can actually savor the taste of your food, the joy when the shower washes over your body and you can feel each day as the seasons change. There is a new clarity and your path on Earth becomes clearer and the stillness of your mind opens up to your dreams. Steve Jobs said, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” He was a man who followed his words and made the impossible come true. As he lay in bed waiting for death to approach, he looked beyond his family and his final words were, “Oh wow, Oh wow, Oh wow.” Steve Jobs created many amazing things in his life and if he said, “Oh wow,” it must have been great. With each client I talk to, in some way, it is confirmed to me how wonderful death and the afterlife is when life is completed. I am now in the body to experience life on Earth. Do I worry about tomorrow or long for the past? No, I make the most of today. I wanted to speak to the spirit of my mother. In my meditation, I visualized going to my home that I lived in as a child, longing to be there with my mother again. I heard her voice say to me, “Don’t look back, live for today and make new memories, knowing that one day we will be together again.”