Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25:13

Every day is a new beginning. Treat it that way. Stay away from what might have been, and look at what can be.

“This very instant” is all we have. We make plans for the future; we invoke memories of the past; but really, all we have to deal with and to act upon is the moment at hand. We cannot stop its going; we cannot hurry the next moment on its way. Like everyone else in the world, we’re partners in the dull, humdrum, dazzling, fabulous, totally unpredictable moment.

And if we have a time that is “our time,” it’s right now. It has to be, because there isn’t any other. Maybe we’ve had times in the past that were special for us; maybe the future will hold precious moments. But the only time that is truly “our time” is this time, where we are, right now. And what we do with this time is ours to decide.

We can smile, breathe, walk, and eat our meals in a way that allows us to be in touch with the abundance of happiness that is available. We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive.

Every breath we breathe, every step we take, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment.

So, “stay awake for you know not the day or the hour.”

Thich Nhat Hanh