| The above title is a quote by Einstein, and it is, indeed, | | | | happy, useful lives, if they had heeded the words... "Live |
| excellent advice. Einstein was, of course, one of the | | | | in day-tight compartments." |
| greatest scientists who ever lived, if not the greatest. | | | | In other words: Shut off the past. Shut off the future. |
| Much of modern physics is based on his discoveries. In | | | | Live for today! This doesn't mean you shouldn't |
| later life, however, he also became a philosopher of | | | | prepare for the future; it means you should not have |
| considerable importance, and he gave us a lot of | | | | any anxiety about the future. If you fret and worry |
| useful information about life. His quotes are seen | | | | about the future continuously, you could end up in the |
| everywhere. The above quote can be generalized to: | | | | nuthouse. |
| Learn from the Past, Live in the Present, Hope for the | | | | So live one day at a time. Think of each new day as a |
| Future. And if you do each of these, you will, indeed, be | | | | new adventure -- a new life. Tell yourself that it's going |
| much happier. | | | | to be the best day of your life. One of the major |
| What do we mean by each of the above | | | | tragedies of many peoples life is that they keep putting |
| statements? Let's look at them in turn. | | | | things off. In particular, they put life itself off. They're |
| Learn from Yesterday | | | | always telling themselves that life will be better -- after |
| We should, indeed, learn from the past -- particularly | | | | they marry, when they retire, and so on. And as they |
| from the mistakes we have made in the past. We | | | | wait, life passes, and suddenly they discover that it has |
| certainly don't want to make the same mistakes again. | | | | left them behind. They have forgotten, or perhaps |
| But we also don't want to spend a lot of time thinking | | | | never learned, how to enjoy life, or maybe they've |
| about these mistakes; they're over and done, and | | | | been too busy and haven't had enough time. Life is in |
| there's nothing we can do about them except learn | | | | the living, and it's important to learn this. "Today is our |
| form them. So don't continue to rehash them, and don't | | | | most important possession. Don't throw it away. |
| become obsessed with them. If you do, they could | | | | Cherish it. Live it. Enjoy it!" |
| become a source of frustration, and they could make | | | | Our happiness and peace of mind are determined, to a |
| you fearful of failure in the future. In short, they could | | | | large degree, in how efficiently we shut out yesterday |
| make you very insecure, and this is, of course, | | | | and tomorrow. Most of your thinking should therefore |
| something you don't want. So learn from them, and | | | | be directed at what you will be doing between now |
| forget them. | | | | and when you go to bed. |
| It is, of course, okay to think about the past | | | | Happy people don't allow past failures and problems, or |
| occasionally, savoring some of the joys you have | | | | worries about the future, to plague them day after |
| experienced, but you should return to the present as | | | | day. If you do, you will likely end up depressed, anxious |
| quickly as possible. Don't develop a nostalgia for the | | | | and frustrated, and that's no way to live. Remember |
| past. This is a common fault with many people; they | | | | that today is the most important day of your life. So |
| daydream about how happy their past life was, and | | | | when you begin drifting into the past or future, bring |
| how dull and humdrum their present life is. Maybe your | | | | yourself back to the present as quickly as possible. |
| past life was better in some respects, but too many | | | | Hope for Tomorrow |
| people magnify the happiness of their past life and | | | | It's not that the future is unimportant. It is, and you |
| forget about the struggles and sorrows they | | | | should prepare for it. Prepare for it, but don't be |
| experienced. If your present life appears to be dull | | | | anxious about it, and don't worry needlessly about it. |
| compared to your past life, it's up to you to make it | | | | Life is full of problems related to the future: financial |
| better. | | | | problems, worries over your health, worries about |
| Don't keep longing for the past, Today is much more | | | | getting old. Some of these will come to pass (such as |
| important. It's the present -- what's happening now -- | | | | growing old), but many of them will remain nothing |
| and you should make the most of it. | | | | more than worries. |
| Live for Today | | | | So force yourself to remain optimistic about the future, |
| Enjoy the day you're living in. Wake up in the morning | | | | and the best way to do this is to foster hope. Never |
| with confidence, and a feeling that the day is going to | | | | lose hope; hope encourages you to set goals and |
| be the best you have ever experienced. One of the | | | | strive to accomplish them. It makes you optimistic and |
| best ways to do this is to relax and live each day as if | | | | gives you faith in the future; it's the thing that spurs you |
| it were your last. | | | | on. It makes you dream of better things, and it makes |
| Dale Carnegie encourages everyone to live in | | | | you feel good. |
| "Day-tight compartments." And it's the best advice | | | | Anxiety, on the other hand, depresses and frustrates |
| anyone could give you. As he says, " Half the beds in | | | | you. And it can easily get out of control. Anxiety feeds |
| our hospitals are reserved for patients with nervous | | | | on anxiety -- it's a vicious circle. So get rid of it as |
| and mental troubles, patients who have collapsed | | | | quickly as possible, and the way to do this is to fight |
| under the crushing burden of accumulated yesterdays | | | | against all negative feelings and negative thoughts |
| and fearful tomorrows. Yet a vast majority of these | | | | related to the future. Don't be fearful of the future -- |
| people would be walking the streets today, leading | | | | look forward to it. |