Today—the end of yesterday and the beginning of the rest of your life. It’s here right now.

How are you going to greet today? Are you looking forward to it? Or are you dreading it?

How are you going to remember today when it turns into another yesterday?

They say today is a gift because it embodies the present moment. Sometimes today feels like a gift that we’re excited to unwrap. Other times we can’t wait for it to be over—all we want to do is kill time. Then many other days just happen—they’re neither a gift nor a nightmare.

As time goes by, we look back and wonder where did our days go?

Own your day.

The only thing we can do with our day—today—is own it.

Today is your day and only yours. Every other human being has his/her own day to celebrate or contend with. As we go on with our lives, our days intertwine but that doesn’t mean they’re not ours.

Each day can potentially be our last day. If we look at life from this perspective, we realize that the finite number of days we have comes closer to an end with every passing day. This makes this day more precious than ever. We really don’t have all the time in the world in this physical existence.

All we have is now and this day. So the sooner we own it, the more we can live it.

Who’s responsible for your day?

The first requirement of ownership is responsibility. You are responsible for your day. Treat it as if it’s your child—whom is your responsibility to nurture and care for. Even if you delegate parts of this responsibility, it’s still ultimately your job.

The same applies to your day. It’s your day and no one can ruin it for you. Others will do things that may not be supportive of you—that’s their business. Your response and your interactions are yours. You can dwell on something for an entire day or give it a few moments then move on. It’s your choice.

I choose to give you love rather than the power to ruin my day.

This is a mantra I try to live by. When you feel others are influencing the quality of your day, it’s because you’ve given them the power to do so. You can always take it back.

What are you avoiding?

Avoidance is resistance and resistance is pain. If you need to or have to do something, do it. Stalling and hiding behind excuses is not going to make it go away. It will eat at you and linger. So get it over and done with.

You can kick and scream but that is only going to make you feel worse. Take a deep breath and act from the calmest state you can muster. Start and as you keep going, things will start feeling better. Breathe.

Stuff happens.

At any given moment, we can only do the best we can within our circumstances.

You may start the day with an ideal vision of what should transpire. But this view remains only in your head. Things don’t go the way you anticipated; you don’t respond the way you think you should; you don’t feel good.

Don’t challenge your inner thoughts and feelings. Go with them and do the best you can.

Allow.

If you’re doing something you enjoy, allow yourself to fully experience that joy. Don’t rush into the next thing and rob yourself of this precious gift.

And if you’re doing something you loathe, remember that it will pass. Don’t suppress how you feel. Just be with the feelings and act. Try to reduce the inner dialogue.

You will feel better when you accept rather than resist. Acceptance brings stillness that can guide you through the toughest experiences.

Let go.

After you are done with whatever you’re doing, let it go. You did your best, enjoyed it or let it be. Now is the time to move on to the next thing and put this day to rest.

Your day becomes a series of care, action, enjoyment and acceptance and that’s all you need really to have an overall positive experience.

Own your day—it’s all you’ve got. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come. Don’t kill time or numb and dilute your moments. Instead, live your today by fully embracing each experience without regrets or fears.

“Let us not bankrupt our todays by paying interest on the regrets of yesterday and by borrowing in advance the troubles of tomorrow.” ~Ralph W. Sockman