When you’re running a business, it’s easy to get caught up in the details.
To worry about whether or not you’ll have enough clients next month. Or if you should be saving more money. Or if you’ll have too many clients and will wear yourself thin again.
Even when you are traveling the world, running a successful little business, designing the life that you want, and watching your successes build on one another, it’s still easy to tally up your worries instead of your blessings.
Or at least it is for me.
And so I’ve been practicing a little mantra now that I’ve arrived in France. It’s simple. It’s straightforward. And it reminds me to count my blessings instead of my concerns, to live in the moment instead of obsessing about tomorrow.
What is this magic little phrase?
“Today, I am in Paris.”
That’s it. Just a simple statement of fact. But one that makes me take a step backward, realizing that tomorrow can worry about itself. Because today…today I am in Paris. And that is enough.
And just in case you’re having a similar struggle—counting up the things you need to do and the ways things might go wrong—that’s also my mantra for you. Not necessarily “Today, I am in Paris,” because obviously not all of you are here. But something similar. Perhaps “Today, I am in love.” Or “Today, I love my job.” Or “Today, I am healthy, housed, fed, and loved.”
Whatever it is you choose, it should be something simple, something factual, and something that makes you feel grateful. It should help you gain perspective, see the big picture.
Because we all worry enough about tomorrow. Let’s take some time to love today.
Today, I am in Paris.
And you?
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9 comments
Today, as with many days, I awakened alive.
Sounds trite, but I’m older than my mother managed, and I’m not very old.
Wow. I don’t think that’s trite at all. I think sometimes we all forget how fortunate we are to have something as simple as our health, as a new day.
I actually do think about this a lot. My mom likely didn’t imagine the day she died that she’d collapse walking across the living room floor on a Monday morning and be dead 10 minutes later.
My dad didn’t go to bed years later thinking he was going to die that night.
Don’t put off things that matter, and don’t take one minute for granted. It can all be gone in the blink of an eye.
Ditto on all that! I’ve already outlived two sisters and my parents in age, much to my surprise. They all died pretty young by today’s standards, and I rather expected to do the same. For years each day has been a gift to be enjoyed, not worried and fretting over what I can’t change. I’ve discovered the future always takes care of itself. I just need to care for now. Tell us about Paris, Gigi. I have ancestors that came from there and I’ve never been!
I love that: “each day has been a gift to be enjoyed.”
And, yes, I will definitely write a few posts about Paris. Sadly, I’ve actually been a bit under the weather, so I haven’t been out and about much yet. BUT, the good news is that I’m in Paris for six weeks total, so once I’m feeling better I’ll definitely get out and have a lot more to say about the city!
I feel like talking about death and its precursor, life, has hijacked Gigi’s posting a little.
Although, perhaps “Today, I am in Paris” could be more broadly interpreted as “Today, I am.”
How very Descartes.
Today I am in love with my husband and daughter.
:)