Former Redskins coach George Allen was once asked why he was signing so many veteran players in free agency, instead of picking up younger, less experienced players. He replied, “The future is now.”
I believe those are good words to live by. Too often we get caught up worrying about things that may or may not happen in the future or regretting things that occurred in our past. We can’t change the past and many times the future events we worry about never come to pass. In the end, we’ve wasted valuable energy and time on things we cannot control.
“Regret and fear are the twin thieves who rob us of today.”
-Robert Hastings
When George Allen said, “The future is now,” he was alluding to the fact that he needed to win games immediately, and had no time to wait for young talent to develop. He was focusing on his immediate goals and problems, and working to correct them. Too often we focus on the future or the past as a way of distracting ourselves from the present, because our present situation is painful or difficult or simply not what we want it to be. We focus on what we can’t control because it lets us avoid making the tough choices about what we can control.
What we can control is the here and now. Learn to live in the moment. The more centered our focus, the more productive we’ll become. If you aren’t where you want to be, take action and make a change. Don’t let the past or the future keep you from living life in the present.
“The stories of past courage…can offer hope; they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul.”
-John F. Kennedy
Have a great weekend,
Ro