One cannot change the past, but one can ruin the present by worrying over the future.
—Unknown
To those leaning on the sustaining infinite, today is big with blessings.
—Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910) American Christian Science Religious Leader, Humanitarian, Writer
Salvation of the Dawn
Look to this day,
For it is life,
The very life of life.
In its brief course lie all the truths
And realities of your existence;
The bliss of growth
The glory of action, and
The splendor of beauty;
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision,
But today well lived makes
Every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.
Such is the salvation of the dawn.
—The Bhagavad Gita Hindu Scripture
Anyone can carry his burden, however hard, until nightfall. Anyone can do his work, however hard, for one day. Anyone can live sweetly, patiently, lovingly, purely, till the sun goes down. And this is all that life really means.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94) Scottish Novelist
Very strange is this quality of our human nature which decrees that unless we feel a future before us we do not live completely in the present.
—Phillips Brooks (1835–93) American Episcopal Clergyman, Author
Life is not lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute, day by dragging day, in all the thousand small uncaring ways.
—Stephen Vincent Benet (1898–1943) American Poet
Live for today. Multitudes of people have failed to live for today … What they have had within their grasp today they have missed entirely, because only the future has intrigued them.
—William Allen White (1868–1944) American Editor, Politician, Author
Delay not till tomorrow to be wise; tomorrow’s sun to thee may never rise.
—William Congreve (1670–1729) English Playwright, Poet
Light tomorrow with today.
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–61) English Poet, Translator
When shall we live if not now?
—M. F. K. Fisher (1908–92) American Writer, Publisher
One realm we have never conquered: the pure present.
—D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930) English Novelist, Playwright, Poet, Essayist, Literary Critic
Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.
—George Orwell (1903–50) English Novelist, Journalist
I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.
—William Allen White (1868–1944) American Editor, Politician, Author
The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
Today is yesterday’s pupil.
—Common Proverb
I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.
—J. B. Priestley (1894–1984) English Novelist, Playwright, Socialist
I have realized that the past and the future are real illusions, that they exist only in the present, which is what there is and all that there is.
—Alan Watts (1915–73) British Buddhist Philosopher, Writer, Speaker
Diligence is the mother of good luck, and God gives all things to industry. Work while it is called today, for you know not how much you may be hindered tomorrow. One today is worth two tomorrows; never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
The present offers itself to our touch for only an instant of time and then eludes the senses.
—Plutarch (c.46–c.120 CE) Greek Biographer, Philosopher
Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.
—Wayne Dyer (b.1940) American Motivational Writer, Author, Motivational Speaker
Yesterday is ashes; tomorrow wood. Only today does the fire burn brightly.
—Inuit Proverb
It is difficult to live in the present, ridiculous to live in the future, and impossible to live in the past. Nothing is as far away as one minute ago.
—Jim Bishop (1907–87) American Journalist, Author
So often we rob tomorrow’s memories by today’s economies.
—John Mason Brown (1900–69) American Columnist, Journalist, Author
One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon—instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.
—Dale Carnegie (1888–1955) American Self-Help Author
It’s not that “today is the first day of the rest of my life,” but that now is all there is of my life.
—Hugh Prather (b.1938) American Christian Author, Minister, Counselor
I have the happiness of the passing moment, and what more can mortal ask?
—George Gissing (1857–1903) English Novelist
Live in the present. The past is gone; the future is unknown — but the present is real, and your opportunities are now. You must see these opportunities; they must be real for you. The catch is that they can’t seem real if your mind is buried in past failures, if you keep reliving old mistakes, old guilts, old tragedies. Fight your way above the many inevitable Traumatizations of your ego, escape damnation by the past, and look to the opportunities of the present. I don’t mean some vague moment in the present — next week or next month, perhaps. I mean today, this minute.
—Maxwell Maltz (1899–1975) American Surgeon, Motivational Writer
Do today’s duty, fight today’s temptation; do not weaken and distract yourself by looking forward to things you cannot see, and could not understand if you saw them.
—Charles Kingsley (1819–75) English Clergyman, Academic, Historian, Novelist
Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness; no laziness; no procrastination; never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day.
—Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) English Statesman, Man of Letters
Work accomplished means little. It is in the past. What we all want is the glorious and living present.
—Sherwood Anderson (1876–1941) American Novelist, Short Story Writer
The time is always right to do what’s right.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten.
—Cesare Pavese (1908–50) Italian Novelist, Poet, Critic, Translator
The present is all the ready money Fate can give.
—Abraham Cowley (1618–67) English Poet, Essayist
The present is the necessary product of all the past, the necessary cause of all the future.
—Robert G. Ingersoll (1833–99) American Lawyer, Orator, Agnostic
Men spend their lives in anticipations, in determining to be vastly happy at some period when they have time. But the present time has one advantage over every other — it is our own. Past opportunities are gone, future are not come. We may lay in a stock of pleasures, as we would lay in a stock of wine; but if we defer the tasting of them too long, we shall find that both are soured by age.
—Charles Caleb Colton (1780–1832) English Angelic Priest, Writer, Collector
Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day.
—William C. Durant (1861–1947) American Industrialist
This — the immediate, everyday, and present experience — is it, the entire and ultimate point for the existence of a universe.
—Alan Watts (1915–73) British Buddhist Philosopher, Writer, Speaker
Now is all we have. Everything that has ever happened to you and anything that is ever going to happen to you, is just a thought.
—Wayne Dyer (b.1940) American Motivational Writer, Author, Motivational Speaker
True happiness is to understand our duties toward God and man; to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence on the future; not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears, but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is abundantly sufficient.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
A preoccupation with the future not only prevents us from seeing the present as it is, but often prompts us to rearrange the past.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
Tomorrow’s life is too late. Live today.
—Martial (40–104) Ancient Roman Latin Poet
I am in the present. I cannot know what tomorrow will bring forth. I can know only what the truth is for me today. That is what I am called upon to serve, and I serve it in all lucidity.
—Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) Russian-born American Composer, Musician
Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift.
—Oprah Winfrey (b.1954) American TV Personality
Our grand business undoubtedly is, not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
We live in the present, we dream of the future, but we learn eternal truths from the past.
—Soong Mei-ling (1898–2003) Taiwanese First Lady, Politician, Painter
The past is a bucket of ashes, so live not in your yesterdays, nor just for tomorrow, but in the here and now. Keep moving and forget the post-mortems. And remember, no one can get the jump on the future.
—Carl Sandburg (1878–1967) American Biographer, Novelist, Socialist
There is no present or future, only the past, happening over and over again, now.
—Eugene O’Neill (1888–1953) American Playwright
Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.
—Charles Dickens (1812–70) English Novelist
We know nothing of tomorrow; our business is to be good and happy today.
—Sydney Smith (1771–1845) English Anglican Writer, Critic
Through loyalty to the past, our mind refuses to realize that tomorrow’s joy is possible only if today’s makes way for it; that each wave owes the beauty of its line only to the withdrawal of the preceding one.
—Andre Gide (1869–1951) French Novelist
Tomorrow I will live, the fool does say: today itself’s too late; the wise lived yesterday.
—Martial (40–104) Ancient Roman Latin Poet
Love the moment and the energy of the moment will spread beyond all boundaries.
—Corita Kent (1918–86) American Artist, Graphic Artist, Educator
In order to be utterly happy, the only thing necessary is to refrain from comparing this moment with other moments in the past, which I often did not fully enjoy because I was comparing them with other moments of the future.
—Andre Gide (1869–1951) French Novelist
The only living life is in the past and future—the present is an interlude—strange interlude in which we call on past and future to bear witness that we are living.
—Eugene O’Neill (1888–1953) American Playwright
You can always cope with the present moment, but you cannot cope with something that is only a mind projection.
—Eckhart Tolle (b.1948) German Spiritual Writer, Public Speaker, Spiritual Teacher
Look not mournfully into the Past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the Present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy Future, without fear, and with a manly heart.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
We are always beginning to live, but are never living.
—Marcus Manilius Roman Poet, Astrologer
I live now and only now, and I will do what I want to do this moment and not what I decided was best for me yesterday.
—Hugh Prather (b.1938) American Christian Author, Minister, Counselor
There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now.
—James Baldwin (1924–87) American Novelist, Social Critic
The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one moment to the next.
—Mignon McLaughlin (1913–83) American Journalist, Author
Yesterday is a cancelled check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is the only cash you have — so spend it wisely.
—Unknown
I always remember that I have everything I need to enjoy my here and now, unless I am letting my consciousness be dominated by demands and expectations based on the dead past or the imagined future.
—Ken Keyes, Jr. (1921–95) American Motivational Speaker, Author, Lecturer
The present is an eternal now.
—Abraham Cowley (1618–67) English Poet, Essayist
Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
—Abbie Hoffman (1936–89) American Political Activist, Anarchist
When we come into the present, we begin to feel the life around us again, but we also encounter whatever we have been avoiding. We must have the courage to face whatever is present — our pain, our desires, our grief, our loss, our secret hopes our love — everything that moves us most deeply.
—Jack Kornfield (b.1945) American Buddhist Teacher
Every moment that I am centered in the future, I suffer a temporary loss of this life.
—Hugh Prather (b.1938) American Christian Author, Minister, Counselor
Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry—all forms of fear—are cause by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of nonforgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.
—Eckhart Tolle (b.1948) German Spiritual Writer, Public Speaker, Spiritual Teacher