147 – The Power Of Today

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THE POWER OF TODAY…
Hey every body, Welcome to Friday, and welcome to the last Being a better man episode of 2016. 

Yes, today is the last episode of 2016.  I personally am happy to welcome in the new year.  2016 was ok, but I’m always excited about what lays ahead…the future. 
In January of 2016, almost a year ago, I started this podcast…146 episodes ago.  There was a lot of crazy stuff that happened in the world this past year, stuff that I never expected.  I am sure that 2017 will have its share of crazy stuff as well. 
Thats kind of how life goes…there is always something dramatic happening.  Peoples individual lives go through changes, relationships end and new relationships begin.  People die, and new ones are born.  Life keeps marching along regardless of what anyone does, it is an unstoppable force.
For some reason we humans try to make sense of it all by putting time in boxes.  We separate the years, months weeks, and even the hours of the day.  We give everything a name or a number.  Then, once we have time all separated, we assign our own thoughts and feelings to it.
Some people will look at the end of 2016 as a great thing, they will see 2017 as a chance for something great to happen, like a painter standing before a blank canvass.  The new year gives them hope that things will be better.
Other people look at the coming year with dread and fear.  The uncertainty of an entirely unknown year coming, makes them nervous.
I’m not saying there is anything wrong with how people perceive time, it’s what helps us understand the world we live in.  Dates also give us great reference points for things that happened in the past like birthdays and anniversaries.
However, I do think it’s important to not let this system run you.  The year 2017 is nothing more than a collection of individual days exactly like 2016 was.  There is a reason I am always saying to be a better man today than you were yesterday…instead of be a better man this year than you were last year.
A day is a manageable chunk of time.  2017 has not happened yet…it is still an imaginary place that doesn’t exist.  Likewise, 2016 is all but gone, it’s over, it is part of history that will never happen again.  But today is real.  Today, right now in the moment you are living is the only real moment of time that you have access to.
We can’t change the way the world perceives time, but…by changing our own perspective just a bit we can learn to use time to our best advantage. 
We can’t change anything that happened in the past year, but we can learn from everything that happened.  2016 may be gone, but it doesn’t have to be wasted.  Ask Yourself what worked and what didn’t work?  What lessons did you learn?  What opportunities were missed?  This is all very useful data that you can use today…right now, in this fleeting moment that you are alive in.  Now is your chance, your only chance to make use of this information. 
The same is true of 2017.  It hasn’t happened yet, it is completely unknown, but If you decide not how you would like 2017 to go, but rather, how you will make it go, then you may be able to take an active role in creating that reality.  How?  by taking action in this moment that you are alive.
I cannot over state the truth and power of today.  Today is the only chance you have, right now, this minute, of having any effect on the future that has not happened yet.
Many people are victims of time.  They lament and grieve about the past, and they wait for the future to happen to them without taking an active role in it.
That is a choice you can definitely make, you can sit back and just let life happen...

This episode is brought to you by our Sponsor: STUMPTOWNKILTS.COM

THE POWER OF TODAY…
Hey every body, Welcome to Friday, and welcome to the last Being a better man episode of 2016. 

Yes, today is the last episode of 2016.  I personally am happy to welcome in the new year.  2016 was ok, but I’m always excited about what lays ahead…the future. 
In January of 2016, almost a year ago, I started this podcast…146 episodes ago.  There was a lot of crazy stuff that happened in the world this past year, stuff that I never expected.  I am sure that 2017 will have its share of crazy stuff as well. 
Thats kind of how life goes…there is always something dramatic happening.  Peoples individual lives go through changes, relationships end and new relationships begin.  People die, and new ones are born.  Life keeps marching along regardless of what anyone does, it is an unstoppable force.
For some reason we humans try to make sense of it all by putting time in boxes.  We separate the years, months weeks, and even the hours of the day.  We give everything a name or a number.  Then, once we have time all separated, we assign our own thoughts and feelings to it.
Some people will look at the end of 2016 as a great thing, they will see 2017 as a chance for something great to happen, like a painter standing before a blank canvass.  The new year gives them hope that things will be better.
Other people look at the coming year with dread and fear.  The uncertainty of an entirely unknown year coming, makes them nervous.
I’m not saying there is anything wrong with how people perceive time, it’s what helps us understand the world we live in.  Dates also give us great reference points for things that happened in the past like birthdays and anniversaries.
However, I do think it’s important to not let this system run you.  The year 2017 is nothing more than a collection of individual days exactly like 2016 was.  There is a reason I am always saying to be a better man today than you were yesterday…instead of be a better man this year than you were last year.
A day is a manageable chunk of time.  2017 has not happened yet…it is still an imaginary place that doesn’t exist.  Likewise, 2016 is all but gone, it’s over, it is part of history that will never happen again.  But today is real.  Today, right now in the moment you are living is the only real moment of time that you have access to.
We can’t change the way the world perceives time, but…by changing our own perspective just a bit we can learn to use time to our best advantage. 
We can’t change anything that happened in the past year, but we can learn from everything that happened.  2016 may be gone, but it doesn’t have to be wasted.  Ask Yourself what worked and what didn’t work?  What lessons did you learn?  What opportunities were missed?  This is all very useful data that you can use today…right now, in this fleeting moment that you are alive in.  Now is your chance, your only chance to make use of this information. 
The same is true of 2017.  It hasn’t happened yet, it is completely unknown, but If you decide not how you would like 2017 to go, but rather, how you will make it go, then you may be able to take an active role in creating that reality.  How?  by taking action in this moment that you are alive.
I cannot over state the truth and power of today.  Today is the only chance you have, right now, this minute, of having any effect on the future that has not happened yet.
Many people are victims of time.  They lament and grieve about the past, and they wait for the future to happen to them without taking an active role in it.
That is a choice you can definitely make, you can sit back and just let life happen to you.  You can rejoice when it goes well and complain when things don’t go your way.  I think that is a poor choice though.  I don’t think that is a choice you can make if you actually want to be a better man.
What I’m saying is that it is silly to worry about things that have not happened.  Don’t worry about 2017 because that is a waste of your time.  Instead, realize that each day you are alive is an opportunity to create the reality you want.  Realize that you have a say in how the next year goes, and the way to do that is by living each day with intention and purpose.  Don’t let life happen to you…you, should happen to life.
That is why I encourage people to focus on being a better man today, than they were yesterday, because today is our only shot, it’s the only thing thats real. 
So, if you learn everything you can from the past, and focus on each day, hour, and minute you are living in, then you will be taking an active role in your own future.  Every day you do that you aren’t only improving yourself…you are improving your own future, and indirectly the future of all the other people in your life.  If you do that, 2017 will take care of itself.  It will be the best year it can be, if you are being the best man you can be, each day.
Hey if this is a new concept for you, a new idea that you aren’t sure how to implement…I’m here to help, really.  Just go to the CONTACT ALF menu tab up above, and write me a letter, let me know what you are struggling with and I’ll help you figure it out.
That’s all I have for today guys.  think it over, consider your perspective of time and make it work to your best advantage.
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