It is just life - one day at a time

Most of us have had a moment where we wish life had an "undo" key, or offered a chance for a "do-over".  But it doesn't.  Life is just what we make it, one day at a time.

Regular readers of this blog know that I am a big fan of plans, dreams, and visions, but I am an even bigger fan of living.

Every day is a gift.  The hard part is that every day is not happy.

In a well-lived life, there are sad days, and painful days.  There are sick days.   There are days when all our body can do is sleep.  There are days when it just feels hard to keep on going.

But, there are also happy days.  Fun-filled days.  Joyful days.  Restorative days.

And they all weave together into life.

The trick is to celebrate all of the days of our lives.   The hard days give us the opportunity to grow in empathy and compassion.  The easy days give us the opportunity to recharge our batteries, and lift up those around us having hard days.

The thing is, no matter the ratio of good to bad days, of hard to easy days, the days you get are all you've got.  Simply recognizing that fact is the first step in taking control of making every day count.

Most of us know someone who has had incredible challenges in life.   Whether those challenges are physical or emotional or spiritual, we all know someone who has had to work really hard at living.

And most of us also know one of those incredibly challenged people who wakes up every day with a smile and who puts smiles on the faces of everyone they meet.

It is just life - one day at a time.   Accepting each day for what it is, making the best out of the hand you're dealt, allowing yourself to feel whatever emotions are provoked by each day, that is living.

Because if you spend today second-guessing yesterday, or wishing it would have been different, or punishing yourself for yesterdays mistakes, you now lost two days that you can never get back.

So, try to live every day purposefully.  If you don't live up to your own expectations for that day, analyze it to determine where your actions contributed to your disappointment.  Make any changes in yourself that you need to make (or at least start on those changes).  And then let it go.  Start tomorrow with a fresh sense of purpose.

When remembering brings joy, or comfort, reliving those days and memories is positive.   When remembering brings sorrow, or regret, once you have learned the lesson from those memories, try as hard as you can to let them go.

Keep the lessons, keep the wisdom, leave the rest in the past.

It is just life - one day at a time.

There is no "undo" key.  Don't let the mistakes of your past rob you of your future.