by Linda-Ann Stewart

This week, I was reminded that “We don’t have control of our past or our future. But we do have control of today.” The past is over and done with, and we can’t change it. We can change how we perceive it, and learn from it, but the events are over. And the future is yet to be. So right now is all we really have.

The future is created by the ideas, beliefs and attitudes we have today. If we want to see what our future will hold, just look at our current concepts. Planning for the future is one thing, as long as we work the plan one moment at a time.

Unexpected events could throw off the plan. A loved one dying, a company collapsing, war, these are out of our control. However, we have control over how we respond to what happens.

Viktor Frankel, psychiatrist and World War II concentration camp survivor, said, “The last of human freedoms – the ability to chose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances.” We can resist or resent the situation, or we can find a way to learn and grow from it. It’s our choice.

Each moment, we have control over what we think, believe and do. Those moments add up and create the future. As long as we keep our focus on the positive possibilities in the present moment, then the future will take care of itself.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

self improvement, self help, personal growth, personal development