It’s finally Friday night, the beginning of a weekend of
freedom, which also happens to include your birthday. Your family, friends and
spouse all have celebratory plans for you.
You have a rewarding career and a network of beautiful
people who want to rejoice in your life. As you walk out to your car to
officially kickoff the fun, a giddy thrill washes over you.
But as you click the seatbelt into place, rather than
sitting in awe of how lucky you are, a list of concerns begin worming their way
into your consciousness: “I need gas, but the conveniently located gas station
charges more than others … I hope it’s not a surprise party … Maybe I should
get the beverages I like before going home … I haven’t been to the gym all week
… Did I pay the electric bill?”
And so it goes.
[Read more: Health benefits of "mommy time"]
“I think we’ve all had this experience, which often has us
psychically living 30 minutes into the future — no matter how great the present
circumstances might be,” says Steve Gilliland, a member of the
Speaker Hall of Fame and author of the widely acclaimed “Enjoy The Ride.”
“Are we doomed to this torrent of noise which distracts us
from enjoying our life? We don’t have to be.”
Don’t live your life
30 minutes ahead of the present. If you won’t live your life now, in the
present, then who will?
“An older man came up to me, grabbed my hand, and said he
wished he’d heard me speak decades ago,” Gilliland says. “After I asked why, he
said that when he was eating lunch on break or dinner with his family, he was
always thinking about what he had to do after the meal, which represented his
daily life. ‘At the age of 97,’ he said, ‘I’ve officially lived my life 30
minutes ahead’ — 30 minutes ahead of whatever he was doing at the moment.”
[Read more: 6 signs your child’s schedule has become too hard to handle]
Laugh more! It’s
better than crying before you’re hurt.
Don’t put your umbrella up until it rains. Worry restricts
your ability to think and act effectively, and it forces you to mortgage fear
and anxiety about something that may never occur. Laughter is the opposite.
When you laugh, you’re living almost completely in the moment, and it’s one of
the best feelings you can have.
No one can ruin your
day without your permission.
As much as we cannot control in life – our genes, our past
and what has led up to today – there is much control we may take upon
ourselves. Today, for example, we can understand that life picks on everyone,
so when the going gets tough, we don’t have to take it personally. When we do
take misfortune personally, we tend to obsess, giving a legacy to something
that may make you a day poorer in life.
[Read more: 10 tips for getting out the door in good time and good spirits]
Cure your destination
disease.
Live more for today, less for tomorrow, and never about
yesterday. How? You might have to repeatedly remind yourself that yesterday is
gone forever, yet we perpetually have to deal with now, so why not live it? And
what if tomorrow never occurs? There is a difference between working toward the
future, which is inherently enjoyable in light of hope, and living in an
unrealistic future that remains perpetually elusive. If tomorrow never comes,
would you be satisfied with the way today ended?
“It is not how you start in life and it is not how you
finish,” Gilliland says. “The true joy of life is in the trip, so enjoy the
ride!”
A member of the
National Speaker Association’s Speaker Hall of Fame, Steve Gilliland is one of
the most in-demand and top-rated speakers in the world. He speaks to more than
250,000 people a year and has shared the platform with numerous dignitaries.
Also, he is a prolific writer who has achieved popular acclaim with his books
“Enjoy The Ride,” “Making a Difference,” and “Hide Your Goat.” His new book
“Detour, Developing the Mindset to Navigate Life’s Turns,” was released in
early May 2015.