From my archives…

Not much time porch pondering today but I’ve given a lot of thought to how each day offers a multitude of new beginnings. Yesterday is gone but there’s always tomorrow. We need to put the past behind us, try not to worry about the future, and live and enjoy each day. Realistically we need to live each day to its fullest because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We know the sun will rise and the birds will sing. When this day is gone we can’t get it back. Be grateful to wake up with breath, with another chance to experience all life has to offer. Don’t take time for granted. Life is full of ups and downs and trials and triumphs. Children grow up quickly and make their way in the world. We lose our parents and our spouses. Some of us lose our children. Our days on earth are really limited.

I stumbled upon a paragraph that I really love and I keep it taped on my bathroom mirror to read every morning. It talks about the concept of intentional living — “making decisions and taking actions that are important to you and true to who you are.” You appreciate and practice gratitude for the things that matter the most to you. You build your life around your true beliefs and values. I’m thinking about people I know who seem truly happy and content and most of them march to the beat of their own drum. They are firm in their convictions and aren’t worried about what other people think. They are secure in their faith and appreciate all the blessings in their lives.

Here’s the paragraph I read each morning. “This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is very important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving something in its place I have traded for it. I want it to be a gain, not a loss — good not evil. Success, not failure, in order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it.” — Heartsill Wilson