Yesterday is gone tomorrow has not yet come: Sometimes I wonder if we fully appreciate the importance of the past. The past sometimes is a great indicator of lessons and even confidence at times. It also reminds us of some of the wounds we have encountered with time. But the reality of yesterday is that it is gone. No matter how much we wish, we cannot go back and change this past. It is only today that we have in front of us and can decide what to do with it. Ultimately it is the today and tomorrow which are the most important things that our actions can influence. The past is a beautiful lesson, but we only learn from it and move on.
Yesterday is gone tomorrow has not yet come
The meaning of this quote by Mother Teresa is quite simple – focus on today. This is the only gift we have. The past has a lot of memories, lessons and challenges. Sometimes, the past has a regret too. But we have to learn how to deal with these regrets and move ahead in life. This quote also talks about the power of doing something today and now. All we have at this moment is the NOW – it can’t get any better than that. Yesterday can be a good tale of your prowess or fears. But it was all yesterday. It is gone now – you can reflect on its memories, but it is gone. The same is true for the emotional baggages we carry about yesterday or tomorrow. It is indeed the past, no matter how much you want to change it, you can’t.
- Never Regret yesterday, Life is in you today – L Ron Hubbard
- Don’t Let Yesterday Take Up Too Much Of Today
Tomorrow has not yet come
We also worry about the future. We indeed have to plan for this future because it gives us a direction. The future is akin to a lighthouse, it tells us where to go – but we can’t plan everything. Just like the sea has these waves, there are too many unknowns for tomorrow. We must set plans to direct us on the right path. Beyond that, it is only a plan that needs constant changing. There is no point in obsessing about tomorrow because no one can predict it right. Even with the best predictions, things will go wrong.
This is because we don’t have enough data to plan for tomorrow fully. Instead, focus on today – what you can do today to help your tomorrow. This is all we have and the meaning of this quote – yesterday is gone tomorrow has not yet come. Don’t waste your time or the now in this constant search or loss between yesterday and tomorrow. Life is happening now and today – what do you want to do about it?
Who said yesterday is gone tomorrow has not yet come
Mother Teresa – Yesterday is a memory. We can make this memory beautiful or painful depending on our narrative. However, we still have to find a way to live our present life. For someone whose life represents kindness, love and compassion – I love the attitude of simplicity and focusing one day at a time. Life is too big to live all at once – yet we sometimes force ourselves to do that. Why bother – instead take life as it comes, one day at a time. It can be a beautiful thing.
- 10 Powerful Mother Teresa Quotes for a Beautiful World
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa
- https://positivepsychology.com/present-moment/
The title reminds me of a hymn:
https://youtu.be/llqNL_hBwKc?feature=shared
Mother Teresa might have taken the line from that hymn.
Ah! That does sound very likely, also it is very feasible that she might have been inspired by these hymns – I suppose we all do, so many things from our childhood influence us and become a value or a belief that we hold on to – some good, some bad – but impressive how these things have such a strong presence in us. I remember most of my thoughts go back to the inspiration from Vivekananda since I used to read his books growing up. Thanks for sharing this – definitely piqued my interest :)