What do you value? For some it may be home and family. For others it may be their job. For still others
it might be hobbies, recreation, reading, sports, friends, church--the list is endless. Do you value these
things only as remembrances of the past, or perhaps as things you wish you had? What about valuing
today? Today gives us the ability to take action on our dreams and hopes. We can talk, touch, see and
hear the things we value right now in the moment. But do we do so? We may spend our time with
memories wishing we could relive them, or we spend our time wishing for something and imagining how
it would be if we had it. However, right now is the only reality. It is in the present that we are alive and
can do things that make a difference. We can and should plan for the future but not at the expense of
missing the present. We can and should remember our experiences of the past, but not as a means of
hiding from the present. If our planning takes the form of action that results in fulfillment of a goal, then
we are living in the present. If our memories help us take loving and compassionate action right now,
then we are living in the present. Yet if our planning and memories are just wishing or dreaming without
realizing the power we have in the present to make a change, then we are missing a wonderful part of the
magic of life.
Live in the here an now. Value the present. It is truly a gift beyond memories of the past or longings for
the future. It is now! Enjoy, learn, contribute, love . . . now!
Blessings and love,
Allen Schmeltz
