From time to time, our thoughts drift away from the present, backwards to the past or forwards to the future. We live with regret for the things we wish we would have done, and we plan our hopes and dreams for the future. But often times, we forget the value of the only time we truly have...the present.

We know that we will never be able to return to yesterday, but so many times we seem to dwell on the past. The never-ending questions seem to float in our head of maybe I should have, if I only I did this, why did I do that, etc. At any decision-making time, we use the available knowledge to weigh the pros and cons of a situation to make the best decision. Some decisions are minor, but other decisions are life-changing. When they don't go the way we planned, it seems that we blame ourselves. It is beneficial to reflect on our past to learn from our mistakes, but we can only accept our past decisions, knowing that we did our very best at the given time.

We have aspirations and goals for the future of how we want our lives to unfold. But no matter how much confidence we have in everything going the way we planned, unexpected surprises will come along the way to change it all. It may be for the better or it may be for the worse, but it will be completely out of our control.

However, even though we can't change our past or determine our future, we do have the present. We have this year consisting of 365 days. Each of these days have 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, 86,400 seconds. We have this time to spend however we wish. Every day is full of opportunities...opportunities to make a difference in the world. We can put a smile on someone's face or perform an unexpected act of kindness to make someone's day. Every day presents opportunities to bring happiness towards others.

If we focus on this present moment in time and all the things we have control over today, we don't need to worry about the past or stress about our future. Making the most of every moment in our day to day life will land us where we want to be in 5, 10, 20, or 50 years from now.

A man on top of a mountain didn't fall there, but he climbed his way to the top. When he fell, he got back up and climbed higher. Each of these steps up the mountain helped him reach his final destination. Let's focus our time and energy on the present and everything we can do today to help ourselves and others climb to the top.

Live, love, and enjoy the present. The past is gone, and the future is never a guarantee. We can only control now. Use this moment to do something to make a difference in the lives of others or to move yourself higher up the mountain to reach your ultimate dreams.