Taking It One Day at a Time

We're often hugely ambitious about our plans for happiness, picturing the years of joy we want to set in motion. However, at points, we should realise the greater wisdom of learning to enjoy the day already in hand, and drawing satisfaction from that most precious and most neglected of units of time; the present moment.

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CREDITS

Produced in collaboration with:

Natalia Biegaj

Title animation produced in collaboration with

Vale Productions

[theschooloflifetv]

Do you struggle to live in the moment and make the most of today? Let us know in the comments below and make sure you do not miss any of our future films by subscribing to our channel and turning on notifications.

[GreyPhoenix]

"We overestimate, what we can achieve in a day. We underestimate, what we can achieve in a year."

[srgkzy]

"It's ok if all you did today was survive"

[YAYASAN]

"If we reach the end of the day, no one has died, no limbs have been broken, few lines have been written, and one or two encouraging things have been said, then that's already an achievement worthy at the place at the altar of sanity". Wow

[TheNesbittExperience]

Living in the past is depression. Living in the future is anxiety. Being in the moment is presence and presence is Grace. #Namaste

[TanvirAhmed]

Happiness is achieved when you stop waiting for your life to begin and start making the most of the moment you are in.

[TheJaayVee]

The School of Life always seem to know what’s going on inside of me...

[slothsareyourfriends]

"Don't wait to be successful at some future point. Have a successful relationship with the present moment and be fully present in whatever you are doing. That is success." -Eckhart Tolle

[callysushi]

I really needed this today. I'm a terrible forward-thinker and have ALWAYS caused myself unnecessary stress and anxiety. This has grounded me ready to relax before bed. Thank you for your videos ✌

[GabrielKnightz]

This is a fragile and tricky skill for the over thinker.
But i'm trying, falteringly.
Thank you.

[bolivar]

1. Here is a fun story I love:


"A very ambitious student went to a Zen master and said, “If I work very hard, how soon can I be enlightened?”

The Zen master looked him up and down and said, “ 10 years.”

The fellow said, “No, listen, I mean if I really work at it, how long—”

The Zen master cut him off. “I’m sorry. I misjudged. 20 years.”

”Wait!” Said the young man, “You don’t understand! I’m—”

“For you, 30 years, ” said the Zen master."


As a guitar teacher I an confirm! I have a dear student who is exactly like this. She is obsessed with a great outcome, all her hopes are put on that day in the future where she will be able to play that piece " perfectly". But until then, every single moment we practise is not a moment of JOY, but an obstacle she has to overcome to get to that one glorious moment of success.

Some time ago we were playing Bach and she started to freak out after two bars. So I said:

" But look Helga ( I changed the name ), this is Bach, it is incredibly beautiful and calming, a gift to humanity, we are so priviledged to play this, we could enjoy every note of it. "

I told her that when you go to see a movie, it is not that you endure the whole movie only to find out what will l happen in the end! You enjoy it. It is the same with a concert. You don't go there to hear the final chord. You love every moment of it.


Well, but we often treat our lives, just the same way my student treated that piece by Bach...As the poet John O’Donahue writes:

“We are so busy managing our lives, we forget this great mystery we are involved in.”


2. NO TIME TO RUSH

I also absolutely love this very simple idea too:

"We have no time to rush. When we walk half as fast, we see double as much."


3. WALK SLOWLY AND BOW OFTEN

In this spirit, I wanted to share a truly wonderful poem by Marie Oliver, one of the greatest American poets of all time.She had spent most of her life taking long walks in the woods. And she wasn't rich or anything, she only had what she needed.

She had an extremely painful childhood and she says: " The beauty of the world saved me". Well, and she saved many people through her poems!

I have heard an absolutely wonderful interview with her on the On Being with Krista Tippett podcast and Krista said that many people have said that the poem " Wilde Geese" by Marie Oliver stopped them from commiting suicide!

But I wanted to share another wonderful poem by her. Please read this slowly and more than once. It will fill you with peace and calm. Let us all " walk slowly and bow often"!


WHEN I AM AMONG TREES by Mary Oliver

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks, and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.

I would almost say that they save me, and daily.
I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.
Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”

The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, “It’s simple, ”
they say, “and you, too, have come
into the world to do this, to go easy,
to be filled with light, and to shine.”


Thank you for this absolutely wonderful lesson and for the genius animation!

[Maracujakeks]

Love the Van Gogh reference.
It is true most of the times - tomorrow will be different, maybe better, maybe worse, but different, and there's always hope it's gonna be better. Human resilience is astonishing

[TimeWizard]

I had a stroke at 24 and almost died and could do almost nothing including speak. I now live at this pace with no shame and neither should anyone else, stroke or not. It was only til after I had this unfortunate situation happen that I realized I should have already been living there beforehand and that's how I got there in the first place.

[moodsup]

I always say not living in the moment causes anxiety. You can only learn from the past and plan a better future. It makes no sense worrying about the past because it cannot be changed. And living in the past stops you from preparing for a better future. Living in the moment is the only balance.

[selilatte]

One who lives in the past has shame and regret, the one who lives in the future has anxiety. The one who lives now is the one who truely lives.

[anuronguha]

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.

[vikloriot]

This is amazing! I’ve been through traumas, I’ve been close to death many times, so now, my philosophy of life is exactly like this. When I went out of hospital and the first thing I saw was a bird singing in a tree on a beautiful day of June, I understood how much little things are important. Laughing, hugging my dogs, watching a bee in my garden. Growing tomatoes and being proud. Or even staying in my bed because I’m too weak to do anything, but having a good film to watch or just contemplating the calm and serenity of my room.

And every night, I try to remember how lucky I am to have made it all.

[jakovvodanovic]

I love how The School of life gives a much needed deeper meaning to the phrase: "Find happiness in small things."

[usman]

I had 3 productive meetings yesterday with my staff. I had guided some members of the team on their projects. Before going out to bed, I felt I didn't do anything, anything and that I should be working more.

I am having troubles sleeping, because its all in my head. I want to figure it out all today. I want to achieve what I figured out today.

Taking it one day at the time is a simple yet a powerful formula of success, happiness and romance. Thank you

[irisn.garcia]

Everyday: "One day at a time, " and " Lord, this too will past " is another great mantra.