I will be writing this post on and around a quote said by someone famous whether they are known or unknown. The fact is that I like the quote and it fits somewhere in the chapters of life. I hope and plan to choose a quote each week and write something about it. Possibly this could be turned into a weekly feature.
The Quote of the Week
My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can. – Cary Grant
This sounds like something we all do each and every day. We wake up, go to work, school, hang out with family and friends, and when the night arrives, we are off to bed. Between sleeping and being awake we are living our lives. Can living be less complicated than that? I sometimes read and hear that we must not worry about the past and not even worry about the future; instead we should live in the present? What does that mean? I think that means that we should just wake up and go on our daily routine not trying to figure out what will happen that we may not be able to control.
We should take one day at a time and realize that today is the present. We should not be living in the present and still be in the past. That is history! We should live today and somewhat thinking about tomorrow and planning, but we should not solely live in the future present. A quote Abraham Lincoln states that we “the best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” I find that interesting because tomorrow is the future. We can plan out what we would like to do and what should be done, but only the present helps determine what happens.
I’m going to be starting my third year of college this fall and I dreaded most of the spring semester because every day would be the same schedule: wake up and get ready for an classes, chit chat with friends, homework, and then go to sleep. And living was that “simple.” Everything else was occupying me… all for a good thing because I was in college that semester turning the gears in my head to stay focus wanting to graduate with my BA. I was living trying to achieve the best in life and meet the goals that I have plan.. for the future. I think living in the past is sometimes linked to the bad history, but for me it is history in life – middle and high school – that had good memories and the bad, but I want to live in the present so I can get ready for the future. This is simple for me, as the quote says, because everything between waking up and sleeping is life. I am living in the present, revising past mistakes, preparing for the future.
Where are you living: in the past, present, or future?
This is a great idea for a weekly topic! I was thinking of something along the same lines for my blog as well since I usually use quotes in my written journal for inspirational reminders. Anyway, onto the subject. I say I tend to live too much in the past and worry too much about the future. And as for the present, I have been struggling with ways to fill my time during the day. I want to do something positive like volunteer, so I've been looking into that since I don't have a job at the moment.
Sometimes we need a bit of writing exercises that get us going. I try to "forget" the past but it is still there but I live in the present and try not to think about the future. But outside of school and the daily routine I seem lost. It's like it brings the real out of reality.
Its such a good idea, I liked this post! Yea we must not live in the past, we gotta live in present and plan for the future! :) Everyone's past teaches some good thing, which helps us put in practice how to Lead life in the future! My past has taught me how to deal with the things around me, and yes in future I try not to be dumb to make mistakes like before. Well written kelvin! :)
I think life isn't so complicated. It gets complicated when we lose our voice.
Jim, that is an interesting point you make. I never thought of life complications from that view. Interesting. To add, I think sometimes we make things seem bigger than they are or start to stress out. I speak for myself as well.
I overanalyze things. I overthink the future. I am just consumed by worries in life and it gets the best of me. Sometimes I feel I'm paused because fear of the future is too huge for me to take.
Wow kelvin, gr8 insight.
I mean how many ppl can say they are LIVING and not enduring another day?
and yea, I dono wy I didnt do this b4, will follow now,k?
well said brother... i know i worry too much and it's spoiling my day, eating up my time... i have not been productive lately for thinking about things in the past and future... thanks for this post.
u should be doing post like this on a regular basis.
lesson learned: carpe diem!