11/18/07

Note on the bathroom mirror



If you're not happy today, what will make you happy tomorrow?

If you're not satisfied with today, how will you be satisfied with tomorrow?

If you're not content with today, will you be content tomorrow?



More so than my surroundings, my environment, my friends or my family, my trials or my blessings, it is my choice to be happy today that will make me happy today. If I'm doing something - or not doing something - today that prevents me from feeling joy or contentment today, or if I'm waiting for that "thing" that will make me happy in the future, what guarantee do I have that tomorrow I won't still be doing that something or waiting for that thing? The only sure way we can feel happiness is to choose it... today. I once had a missionary companion who would ask this question when faced with a difficult choice that was easier to put off until tomorrow than dealing with today:

If not today, then when?

3 comments:

Amy said...

The bathroom mirror is a great place to have that saying! I continually have to remind myself of the same thing. What a blessing it is to be happy today! :)

Amanda said...

I read this blog a couple of days ago and I keep thinking about it!
Sometimes I forget. So thanks for the reminder!

xanghe said...

I forget all the time and blame other things and people for my "unhappiness." Interestingly enough, I was complaining about how stressed I've been at work to my wife, and the other day I was praying and in a hurry and just said "Help me to have a good attitude so that I don't get stressed." Afterwards I thought back and wondered why I would say such a nonsensical phrase, then it hit me: maybe it made perfect sense. The way I approach my duties at work determines how stressed I become. It's all about attitude, and attitude is determined by choice. Wow, the mind is a powerful thing.

And God does teach you while you're in the middle of praying, especially when you're dense like me.

travel log
  • 02.13.08 - to the temple with Luan and his mom, good to be back
  • 02.14.08 - Mẫu's alive! and staying for the weekend
  • 02.15.08 - floor hockey and Thái food makes for some strange dreams
  • 02.17.08 - frisbee and swamp monster at the park: fun but I'm pooped!
  • 02.19.08 - just read Triết's response to my last post - game on!
  • 02.20.08 - raining and expected to continue through Sunday - thank goodness!
  • 02.21.08 - 3-hour nap is a bad idea right before bed
  • 02.23.08 - to the beach to watch kites, a baptism @ 5pm, and homemade bulgogi - what a day!
  • 02.25.08 - just gave myself a haircut - woo, cold head!
  • 02.26.08 - 75° and spring cleaning - couldn't feel better
  • 02.27.08 - fed the elders bún đậu tonight - think it's their first time
  • 03.01.08 - working on new background...
  • 03.02.08 - finalized javascript to change background without muffing up my other scripts
  • 03.03.08 - fhe: "In his strength I can do all things" (Alma 26:12)
  • 03.07.08 - some decisions are harder than others, but some are downright excruciating
  • 03.08.08 - there is life after work... i almost forgot
  • 03.11.08 - the distance between good and bad is much shorter than between better and best
  • 03.12.08 - conversion is sometimes a gradual process, so much so that we don't even notice
  • 03.14.08 - for some reason everything was a little harder today, looking forward for bed!
  • 03.15.08 - last night after blog reading, I missed OnlyBlue, today I find she's back
  • 03.16.08 - best day of my life!
  • 03.19.08 - "Pray for the answer that they've been looking for"
release notes v1.0 - FINALLY DONE!
  • 12.07 - first thought of starting a new blog
  • 01.08 - busy with election stuff but blog design still on back burner
  • 01.13.08 - first idea to imitate jk rowling with the "desk" theme
  • 01.28.08 - start sketching current design, breaking down development into phases
  • 02.02.08 - election only days away but still drafting final plans
  • 02.04.08 - v0.6 LAUNCH
    • main components (blog body, sidebar, header, etc) designed and implemented
    • styling for font, links, drop caps, etc. finished
  • 02.07.08 - v0.8 LAUNCH
    • image style to imitate polariod
    • moveability - post-it notes and static clings can be repositioned by drag and drop
    • release notes styled and written
  • 02.16.08 - travel log (beta) added in hopes of catching the mundane
  • 02.22.08 - lightbox 2.03 reinstalled and working fine (hopefully - let me know otherwise)
  • 02.26.08 - v0.9 LAUNCH
    • travel log seems to be working, so I'll keep it
    • lightbox also seems to have passed the test, so it's a keeper
    • some credits/info added to bottom (will expand)
    • keeping old Viet terms in archive for future viewing
  • 03.18.08 - v1.0 LAUNCH
    • installation and testing of time-sensitive background completed (for now)