SALUTATION TO THE DAWN

The dawning of a new day - 

there is nothing like a Medjugorje sunrise

Today, I would like to share a very meaningful poem written by an Indian poet, Kalidasa, entitled Salutation to the Dawn.. I don't know since when I started reading this poem but it has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Here it goes:

Salutation to the Dawn

Look to this Day!

For it is life, the very life of life.

In its brief course

Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:

The bliss of growth

The glory of action

The splendor of beauty,

For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow is only a vision,

But today well lived makes every yesterday

a dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day!

Such is the salutation to the dawn.

                                                      -  Kalidasa
                                                   

Why is this poem, which focuses on just one day, so meaningful to me? Because every new day is a new beginning with new opportunities in life. It's like we are given another chance to live our lives again - another chance for great things. It should be noted that a new beginning does not necessarily mean the beginning of a new year. It may also mean a new start after a divorce or relationship, a new job, a new environment, etc. Regardless of our circumstances, let  us welcome each new day joyfully and make new resolutions. Begin a new journey, do the best that we can and make good use of the opportunities that come with it. Since every new day comes from yesterday's end, I believe that we should take time to reflect on yesterday as this will help us improve our lives but we should not be burdened by it. Yesterday represents the past and no matter how bad things were in the past, it does not matter anymore. One has to learn to let go. Every day is a new beginning and we should make the most of the present time and do better. As long as we have lived well and done our best today, there is nothing to fear about tomorrow because we reap what we sow. I am not trying to say that we shouldn't have plans for the future - we do have dreams for the future, don't we? But the best way to make our dreams come true is to take care of our present. So, let us do our best today as it is the best possible way to prepare us for the future. Let us not worry about tomorrow but welcome it with a joyful hope because we cannot control the future. Remember, you cannot change yesterday and worrying about tomorrow would only ruin your day. So, live well today and enjoy every moment of it, make room for new energy, do the things that you like to do and be happy. This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it (Psalm 118:24). As what the Roman poet Horace says, "carpe diem",  a Latin expression meaning "pluck the day", used to encourage people to make the most of the present and enjoy life while they can rather than worrying about the future.

Live today. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. 

Just today. Inhabit your moments. Don't
rent them out to tomorrow - Jerry Spinelli

This is one of the best pieces of life advice that I have ever read about. It is very inspiring, energizing, and  renewing. I am glad I read this poem because it reminds me that life is in the present and I should treasure every moment of it. I never mourn for the past and I don't live in the future. Life is short, so cherish every moment you have. Perhaps my mom would have been wiser if she has read this poem. When I was young, she liked to buy Corning Ware sets, Rena Ware Cookware sets, and Pyrex Cookware sets and kept them all in the kitchen cabinet. She said that they were very precious and would only use them when we have grown up because she expected us to bring home lots of friends for lunch and dinner. But that day never comes and she never gets the chance to use her favorite cookware sets. Her cookware sets now belong to me and I would certainly not keep them in the kitchen cabinet for future use. My life is now! 

If you are depressed 

you are living in the past,

if you are anxious 

you are living in the future,

if you are at peace, 

you are living in the present

                                - Laotzu

Yes, seize the day! Do not live in the past. Do not live in the future. Give all your attention to every moment of your life. As what John Haggai says, "Yesterday is a cashed check and cannot be negotiated. Tomorrow is a promissory note and cannot be utilized today. Today is cash in hand. Spend it wisely (Winning over Pain, Fear and Worry, p. 411). Even Jesus says, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Today has enough troubles of its own" (Matthew 6:34). 

Anyone can carry his burden, 

however heavy, until nightfall.

Anyone can do his work, 

however hard, for one day.

Anyone can live sweetly,

patiently, lovingly, purely,

till the sun goes down.

And this is all life really means.

         - Robert Louis Stevenson

So, let's shut the iron doors of the past and the future and live in day-tight compartments. When you wake up each morning, determine to "seize the day" and make the most of your twenty-four hours. Today is your most precious possession and your only sure possession (Dale Carnegie). "Life is too short to worry about anything. You had better enjoy it because the next day promises nothing" (Eric Davis).

You may also like to read Footprints in the Sand, How to Leave the Past Behind You and Move Forward, How Abraham Lincoln Inspired Me to Pursue My Ph.D.?, INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT INGRATITUDE, LET'S EXPECT IT, and INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES FROM POPE FRANCIS THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE. To view the content page of this blog, please click here.