Monday Real Talk

The Value of Living in the Present

I just finished listening to a press conference with Shedeur Sanders, and something that young man kept saying caught my attention.

He talked repeatedly about living in the present.

The reporters asked questions that could have easily pulled him into something negative.

Questions about other players.

Questions that could have gotten him to compare himself to somebody else.

Questions that could have taken him backwards.

But he didn’t go there.

He kept bringing the conversation back to where he is right now.

He wasn’t disrespectful.

He wasn’t defensive.

He simply wasn’t allowing anybody to pull him somewhere he didn’t want to go.

I thought…

That young man understands something.

Now, he did say there is a reason to look at the past.

He reviews previous footage so he can see his mistakes and learn from them.

And THAT made sense to me.

Because living in the present doesn’t mean we erase our past.

Our past teaches us.

Our past can show us where we went wrong.

Our past can remind us of what worked.

Our past can help us understand ourselves.

But there’s a difference between learning from your past and living in your past.

I prefer to live in the present.

That doesn’t mean everything happening in my present is wonderful.

Absolutely not.

I have challenges.

I have obstacles.

I have days when something happens and I have to work on shifting how I feel about it.

But that’s exactly why staying in the present is important to me.

Because when something difficult happens, I can ask myself:

What can I do about this TODAY?

Not what should I have done five years ago.

Not what might happen six months from now.

What can I do with what is in front of me right now?

There are things in my past that I cannot change.

There are things in my future that I cannot predict.

But I have some power over what I choose to do with today.

And here’s something else I’ve learned.

When I face a present challenge, sometimes I DO look backwards.

But I don’t look backwards to stay there.

I look backwards to remind myself:

Girl, look at everything you’ve already overcome.

I’ve been through things I once didn’t know how I was going to get through.

But somehow…

I did.

So when life puts another obstacle in front of me, my history doesn’t have to become a place of regret.

It can become evidence.

Evidence that I’ve survived hard seasons before.

Evidence that I’ve adjusted before.

Evidence that I’ve learned before.

Evidence that I’ve started over before.

And evidence that I can do it again.

That’s very different from allowing yesterday to control today.

Living in the present can also mean appreciating what’s good while it’s actually happening.

The conversation that makes you smile.

The morning when you wake up feeling good.

The quiet cup of coffee.

The person who calls just to say hello.

The laughter that comes out of nowhere.

Sometimes we’re so busy thinking about yesterday or preparing for tomorrow that we completely miss today.

And today is the only place where we’re actually living.

Now don’t misunderstand me.

Planning for the future is important.

Learning from the past is important.

But neither one requires us to emotionally live there.

Maybe that’s the balance.

Look back for lessons.

Look forward with intention.

But LIVE right here.

Because whatever happened yesterday has already happened.

Whatever is coming tomorrow will arrive when it arrives.

Today?

Today is where you have choices.

Today is where you can change your attitude.

Today is where you can respond differently.

Today is where you can forgive.

Today is where you can try again.

Today is where you can laugh.

Today is where you can love.

Today is where you can LIVE.

So here’s my Monday Real Talk question:

Where do you spend most of your emotional energy?

In what already happened?

In what you’re afraid might happen?

Or in the life that’s happening in front of you right now?

I know where I want mine to be.

Right here.

In the present.

From Flava in Her Tower 🌻