"Today is a New Yesterday" Some thoughts on being in the present...

[Susan French]

Anyone who knows me knows that I use the phrase “Today is the first day of the rest of your life” a lot. I like it because it reminds me (so I remind my friends, family and clients), that every day you get a do-over, you can start fresh.

Anyone who know me knows that I also use the phrase “There is no reality, only perception” a lot. It reminds me (so I remind my friends, family and clients) that every time I find a new perspective (therefore new perception) my entire life changes for the better...exponentially.

I have also come to realize that my life’s wisdom often presents itself in the best turn of phrase I can remember on any subject at any given moment. “One day at a time” serves me well and serves me well ften. “Let me sleep on it” is another. I LOVE quotes, especially the ones that make me laugh.

In fact, I just created a new one that I really like: “If you want to know what’s wrong with your children, take a good, hard look in the mirror.”

It was natural that “Today is a New Yesterday” struck me. Because these little cliches, these little thought-bytes, are what rescue me in real-time. These little thought-bytes guide my day without much conscious awareness. Their real value is that they bring me smack back into the present, which is where ease of living (often called happiness) is usually found.

“Today is a New Yesterday” is like that. It seems like an advanced version of “How you live today is how you create your tomorrow’s.” Because it reminds me that everything I do in my life is woven indelibly into the tapestry of my life. It is like a blog entry or forum comment that will live forever in viral cyberspace, forever to haunt me if I make a lapse in judgement.

My tapestry is made up of many things: things I’m proud of, things I regret, things I wish I had done differently. “Today is a New Yesterday” is my new cliche reminder that my choices today, in the present, more importantly, in this present moment, matter more than I realise.

In 12-Step philosophy, a great source of many of my cliche’s, there is a saying that goes like this “...and you clean up the wreckage of your past...” That thought always leads me to my own version: “I’m a happy camper if I can manage not to be creating the wreckage of my future.”

Sometimes it’s good to peek at the future before making a choice that will live forever in your tapestry. Yes, I think “Today is a new yesterday” might be a keeper.

If you find yourself having a hard time creating satisfying yesterdays, call me and let me help.

Susan

www.hypno4success.com/blog

877-583-2026

[Susan French]

That was beautiful, Fable. Thanks.

Susan

[Susan French]

Hi Kent,

Don't apologize! I love the rough hewn AA cliche's. They are always so to the point. I had forgotten that one. Thanks for sharing it.

My b/f of the time, also in AA, wandered into an Alanon meeting by mistake (they were both in one of those "clubhouses" that have several meetings going on in different rooms). Everyone looked so serious and grim. When we realised we were in the wrong room, we left and went into the AA room where everyone was being loud and laughing and using raw language amidst howls of laughter. We said something to the secretary of the meeting about the difference in the tones of the meetings.

In the scratchy voice of a long-time smoker and drinker he replied "Well, we came here to get SOBER not SOMBER." We fell out. He was so-o-o-o-o right!.

Susan

[Kent Fullarton]

The other day a client was going through a rough patch. She was very weepy, so we tried to cry out loud on purpose. That didn't work too well. So we just talked. I talked about the nature of grieving is like the body healing. I don't know how this came up, I guess I lost track of the thought. She said "yes, in AA we say that if you keep one foot on yesterday and the other foot on tomorrow, you piss all over today. I love the analogy, but want a nicer way of saying it. Sorry for any offence.

[Fable Goodman]

I am of course reminded of the famous Sanscrit writer Kalisada


Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn!
Look to this Day!
For it is Life, the very Life of Life.
In its brief course lie all the
Verities and Realities of your Existence.
The Bliss of Growth,
The Glory of Action,
The Splendor of Beauty;
For Yesterday is but a Dream,
And To-morrow is only a Vision;
But To-day well lived makes
Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,
And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope.
Look well therefore to this Day!
Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!

[Kelley Woods]

Love it! Another cliche for you: "Yesterday's gone & tomorrow is uncertain but today is a gift....that's why it's called the present."

I like 'em, too!