“It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.” — Dr. Robert Hutchings Goddard
“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present” — Eleanor Roosevelt
“Yesterday is but today’s memory, tomorrow is today’s dream.” — Kahlil Gibran
“Forget yesterday - it has already forgotten you. Don’t sweat tomorrow - you haven’t even met. Instead, open your eyes and your heart to a truly precious gift - today.” — Steve Maraboli
“If you want to be happy, do not dwell in the past, do not worry about the future, focus on living fully in the present.” — Roy T. Bennett
“The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence; the past is a place of learning, not a place of living.” — Roy T. Bennett
“Today is the most important day of our lives.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
“The present is a split second in eternity.” — Marcus Aurelius
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory.” — Dr. Seuss
“Life exists only at this very moment, and in this moment it is infinite and eternal. For the present moment is infinitely small; before we can measure it, it has gone, and yet it persists forever.” — Alan Watts
“The gods envy us. They envy us because we’re mortal, because any moment may be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we’re doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again.” — Brad Pitt
“We are always living in expectation of better things, while at the same time we often repent and long to have the past back again.We look upon the present as something to be put up with while it lasts, and serving only as the way towards our goal. Hence most people, if they glance back when they come to the end of life, will find that all along they have been living ad interim :1 they will be surprised to find that the very thing they disregarded and let slip by unenjoyed was just their life-that is to say, it was the very thing in the expectation of which they lived. Of how many a man may it not be said that hope made a fool of him until he danced into the arms of death!” — Arthur Schopenhauer
“Don’t count the days. Make the days count.” — Muhammad Ali
活在當下:「除了此時此刻，我們一無所有」
臨在感
Mini / Every Day Retirement
Be intentional and live in the present moment. Don’t live backwards. Any moment is perfectly unique.
“Forever is composed of nows.”
- Nothing exists except an endless present
- The perpetual state of now
Song lyrics from Secret O’ Life by James Taylor
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time Any fool can do it There ain’t nothing to it Nobody knows how we got to the top of the hill But since we’re on our way down We might as well enjoy the ride
Before any memorable event, tell yourself silently: “This will pass by.”
- 在心理默念:「這會過去」
We often treat the present as a vehicle for something else, failing to see that it’s the only thing we truly have.
- Translation:
- Now is now, next time is next time.
- 現在是現在、下次是下次。
- Meaning:
- Encourages separating the present moment from the past or future.
- Pronunciation:
- 今は今: Ima wa ima
- 今度は今度: Kondō wa kondō
What you have to remember about the past is that it literally does not exist—it exists only in your mind, in your memories, no more real than a daydream. And here’s the thing: your memories are likely far less accurate than you think. They’re shaped by your emotions, your state of mind at the time, and the way your brain processes and stores information. Your mind exaggerates some details, completely erases others, and distorts events without you even realizing it.
Someone who experienced the exact same event as you likely remembers it very differently. Memories are not objective facts, and they cannot be fully trusted. Yet, we build our sense of self from these flawed recollections—we construct a story of our lives based on memories that may not be true at all.
But if the past no longer exists, and if what you remember isn’t necessarily what really happened, that means you have the power to rewrite it. Change the story you tell yourself about yourself. Redefine your past, and in doing so, reshape who you are.
See also:
Footnotes
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(adv.) for an intervening or temporary period of time ↩