How many times have we voiced the  words  “I’m gonna do this” or “I’m gonna do that?”  One  of my favorites is  “I’ll do it when I feel better.” The problem with this statement is that I never feel better.  The problem with all these statements of what we are  going to do are  filled  with   conditions.   Or when I say I’m’ gonna do something , I always find some excuse not to do it.

We  like to put off what we need most. I know that I really need to see a dentist, but I keep putting it off. I mean, who likes pain? Or I know that I need to talk to my sponsor, but I’d much rather just stay in bed and sleep off my sadness. My pillow is my counselor. I know I’m gonna go to a Depressed Anonymous meeting, as I promised my friend, but not tonight.  I’ll tell him I’ll  be there tomorrow, .

The problem here is that “one of these days ” is never today.  We don’t want to live and be responsible for what happens to us today. We want to dwell in a past that we can never get back or the tomorrow which hasn’t come yet.  It’s like the guy who goes into the local pub and he sees  a huge sign on the wall with large red letters, ” FREE BEER TOMORROW!”  “Wow” he thought to himself, “I’ll be back tomorrow .”

Sure enough, here he comes. He goes up to the bartender, points to the sign, and says “I’ll take one of those free beers.”    The bartender smiles and tells him,  “come back tomorrow. ” “But today is tomorrow”  the guy tells the bartender. ” The bartender, puts his  hands on the bar, slowly and emphatically telling  the guy, “That’s tomorrow. Today is not tomorrow!”  The  bartender  gives out with a laugh. The guy walks out of the bar and could be heard repeating  “I get it, I get it.”

I will take care of what needs to be taken care of today–today is all I have.

Today is not tomorrow. Get it?

(c) Hugh(2018)