I’ll start my blog with my quote, “Live in the moment. What’s here today is not guaranteed to be there tomorrow. Make the most of your opportunity and try to see the positive side of every situation.”

All my life, I have constantly worried about tomorrow. With the life challenges that I went through, I couldn’t see past today. Therefore I spent time worrying about what would I be doing tomorrow.   Deep inside I was embarrassed that my classmates would all be successful and I would be working in my family’s convenience store for the rest of my life.   Perhaps it was not that bad because that’s what I was told I was capable of.   But never a day went by that I didn’t hear people say that I wasn’t like my siblings.   Even my teachers wondered how I was related to my brother and sister, because they were really doing well academically and I was just average.

Back then I was eager to finish grade school so I could be in high school. Once I was in high school, I couldn’t wait to go to college. In my senior year in high school, I qualified for a scholarship for a computer programming class. The trend continued and I was in a rush to go to college. During my junior year in college, I realized that all I did was rush from one stage to another because I was trying to escape my present situation. As a result, I failed to enjoy my journey. I learned to slow down, but made little effort to enjoy the moment.   Before you know it, I was done. I took the board exam and then reality set in.

The day after I sat for the board exam marked the rest of my life working in our convenience store. It hit me like a brick wall: wow I rushed all for this moment.   Each day that went by I realized that it was not for me. I’m not sure why, but I wasn’t passionate about it. My love for computer programming was still there.   I fought the fear to talk to my mother about my desire to seek opportunity elsewhere.   It was not easy, but eventually I mustered the courage and talked to my mother.   In the end, I was allowed to seek employment elsewhere and I promised that I would work on weekends and holidays at our convenience store.

It took me a couple of months to find a job due to the competitive marketplace. The day I started my job, I vowed to take each moment and make the most of it.   By staying in the moment, I saw opportunities and made sure I worked hard to qualify for the opportunities.

My journey was meaningful because of the way I approached it. I also emphasized working hard while making sure when I made mistakes that I took the time to learn the lessons and avoid repeating the same mistake.

Living in the moment means…

Don’t worry about things you can’t change – there is really no point in worrying about things you can’t change, because you’re wasting your energy and stressing yourself out for no reason.

Don’t let the pain of the past rule your present – while you might experience a tough or challenging childhood, it does not mean that your future has to be the same.   Just like me, I take those experiences and try to provide a better experience for my children.   I stopped letting the past rule my future.

Learn to slowdown and enjoy the moment – Slow down and enjoy the moment. Make the most of your opportunities. Don’t rush. Let the lessons of today come to you.

Eliminate the filter that prevents your seeing the good in others – sometimes our bias prevents us from seeing the good in others. These filters are byproducts of our experience. Our awareness is the one that will set us free.   Step back and reassess the situation and make sure that you’re considering all other things before coming up with a conclusion.

I’ll close this post with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”   To make each day the best day in the year, we must be aware and conscious about it.   I hope reading this post helps you reflect on enjoying the present. May today be your best day ever.