Session 4

# PRINCIPLE 2   LIVE IN THE PRESENT

Now that you have let go of your past, the next principle to adopt that leads to  the highway to happiness is, Live in the present by living one day at a time.  Life is unpredictable and death is a certainty.  You can't go back into the past, you can't control tomorrow so live for today! The only power is have is over today not tomorrow. Live life fully. Live life thankfully. Live life faithfully. Some things are beyond your control. Instead of  trying to live your life "what if" learn to live you life on  "what is".  

Do You Know...? (Words of Ancient Wisdom)

Life is a journey not a destination. So enjoy the journey by living in the present and not in  the past or future because tomorrow may never come. The past is gone but today is here. The future comes one day at a time. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has yet to come. Live in the present and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.  The only way to live happily is to live one day at a time.

Living in the present carries three significant implications:

1)  Seize the day (Carpe Diem). You should not procrastinate in things you want to do. Procrastination and distraction go together. The time for action is now - words like tomorrow, later I will have time,  eventually, someday  are killer words. " The key is not to prioritize  what's on your schedule, but to  schedule your priorities." Accomplishment of anything be it finishing a project, your office work, school assignment inevitably brings a sense of happiness. "Some people drift through their entire life. They do it one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a time. It happens so gradually they are unaware of how their lives are slipping away until it's too late " (Mary Kay Ash). Producing happiness involves deciding, designing and doing, and the most effective way to be happier involve joining up these various components.

2) Make each day your masterpiece. There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.(Albert Einstein). It is not the years in your life but the life in your years that counts. (Adlai Stevenson)

3) Do acts of kindness. Helping others to succeed, writing words of encouragement,  leaving behind a few cents for the cleaners at the hawker centre,  giving coins to janitors, tips to pump attendants  will bring you happiness. "Never neglect the little things. Never skimp on the extra effort, that additional few minutes, that soft words of praise  or thanks, that delivery of the very best you can do" (Og Mandino). "Learn to add value to your job, your friend, Look for ways to insert a positive impression,  pay a compliment. Live fully and thankfully" ( Maxwell). A word of encouragement from us, at just the right moment, may alter the entire life of someone who looks up to us to an extent we do not realize.

When you plant acts of kindness and generosity, to others you may not know what tree may grow from that small seed. Ultimately what shapes the meanings of our lives is not what we get, but what we give. If you can make it your goal each day  to find a way to add more value  to people’s lives  than anyone else, then you’ll never have to worry about success…Remember the secret of living is giving.  (Robbins)  The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer somebody else up. Mark Twain

When I was growing up, one of the books that impacted me was "Try Giving Yourself Away by David Dunn." His basic and proven idea is that when you try give yourself away, greater happiness awaits you when you give  a portion of yourself ( using Ralph Waldo's Emerson phrase). How do you give yourself away? There are different and many ways  to give a "portion of yourself".  

One common way is to give money. If you must give money, bear in mind the wise saying of Miguel de Unamuno: “It is not the shilling I give you that counts, but the warmth that it carries with it from my hand.”

Other ways include: But giving compliments to the waiter who served you well, a chef who cooked a delicious meal, your spouses, children, colleagues, writing a note of encouragement, being thoughtful, show appreciation.  In the words of Charles Schwab, "Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise." This means giving your approval with your heart heart, and be generous when you praise someone.

These are "warm impulses of the human heart. And they are priceless in their power to purchase happiness for two people, the recipient and the giver"( David Dunn). And happiness is one of the greatest gifts within the power of any of us to bestow. But they all start from the same spot-your heart.  The French have a proverb, “He gives nothing who does not give himself.” “A portion of thyself,” will add to the happiness of those around you, and to lead a happier and more exciting life yourself.  It is the spirit, not the substance, which carries warmth.

One of the compensations of lifer is when you learn to give yourself away, you will discover that it is virtually impossible to give your yourself away without getting back more than you give-provided you give away with no thought of reward.  As Seneca, the Roman philosopher wrote, “There is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.” Usually the return comes in some wholly unexpected form, perhaps long after you have forgotten the giving-away episode.

I have found this to be true time again and again. When I give of myself be it time, treasure for talent, it boomerangs back. Of course it is not away in monetary form. But if it  is, I take it as a bonus.

Let us be reminded of Ralph Waldo's truthful statement: “Rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts.  The only gift is a portion of thyself” (Ralph Waldo Emerson).

 “He who praises another enriches himself far more than he does the one praised.  To praise is  an investment in happiness…The poorest human being has something to give that the richest could not .” (George Matthew Adams)

When was the last time you did something good?  When was the last time you wrote  a letter to encourage someone? If are past 50, and look back at your life what would it be? Regrets? Fulfillment?

I expect to pass through this world but once.  

Any good therefore that I can do,

or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature,

let me do it now.  

Let me not defer or neglect it,

for I shall not pass this way again.”  (Stephen Grellet)  

So. live in the present by living one day at a time. Remember, when something bad happens, you have 3 choices. You  either let it define you, let it destroy you or let it strengthens you. Each new day brings possibilities. Every day regardless of how dark the clouds are,  the sun rises the next day. Today is not yesterday. The only preparation for tomorrow is the right use of today. (Psalm 25:18). Live one day at a time and make each day a masterpiece. "Yesterday is a canceled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have- so spend it wisely" (Kay Lyons)

Summary: The second principle is Live in the Present by living one day at a time.