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The
Art of Living Each Day
Wilferd A. Peterson
Each
day is a lifetime in miniature.
To awaken each morning is
to be born again,
to fall asleep at night is to die to
the day.
In between waking and sleeping are the golden
hours of the day.
What we cannot do for a lifetime we can
do for a daytime.
"Anyone," wrote Robert Louis Stevenson, "can
live sweetly,
patiently, lovingly, purely, till the sun
goes down."
Anyone can hold his temper for a day and
guard the words he speaks.
Anyone can carry his burden
heroically for one day.
Anyone can strive to be happy for
a day and
to spread happiness around.
Anyone can radiate
love for a day.
Anyone can rise above fear for a day and
meet each new situation with courage.
Anyone can be kind
and thoughtful and considerate for a day.
Anyone can
endeavor to learn something new
each day and mark some
growth.
Sir
William Osler pointed out that just as ships are
kept afloat by airtight
compartments, living in daytight
compartments will help us to avoid
wrecking our lives.
Osler gives us a magic word with which to face
the day: Equanimity.
The supreme art of living is to strive to live each day
well.
When
we fail and fall short, let us forgive ourselves and
consider the words of
Emerson: "Finish every day and
be done with it. You have
done what you could; some
blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget
them
as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you will
begin it
well and serenely and with too high a spirit
to be cumbered by your old
nonsense."
Live a day at a time and remember that
tomorrow is another today. |
