“Every experience in life, everything with which we have come in contact in life, is a chisel which has been cutting away at our life statue, molding, modifying, shaping it. We are part of all we have met. Everything we have seen, heard, felt or thought has had its hand in molding us, shaping us.”—Orison Swett Marden
There is a Universal connectedness that ties us and our experiences together. I have often asked and been asked the question: “If you could go back in time and change one event in your life, what would you change?” I am convinced that the correct answer is—and always is—“nothing.”
The above quote by Orison Swett Marden underscores this. Hard as it is sometimes, I regularly remind myself that the experiences and relationships I am making and have made are shaping who I am becoming for God’s Purposes. The same can be said for my children. We might not like experiences and events from our past, but to change them in the least would have a significant impact on who and where we are in this moment. It would have effects that would ripple through the Universe in ways that we cannot conceive. This brings us to this moment in time. Carpe momento. What we choose to do in the circumstances to which the past has brought us is in our control. We are not pawns or victims. We choose the path opportunity takes us. This is why I frequently use the phrase “opportunity costs.” Our lives are a series of decisions. The next decision is the one that matters most in moment. Past decisions are done and cannot be changed. They brought us here for the moment at hand and the path ahead.
Grattitude (gratitude + attitude; an attitude of gratitude) is essential for understanding the past, living well in the moment, and (re)directing our path forward. Be grateful for the events and experiences of the past as they have shaped who and where you are. If you are not satisfied in your current circumstances (and who among us should be totally satisfied?), realize that our Creator is not finished yet.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!