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Listen to the 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 our existence.
The bliss of growth, 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.
~Kalidisa, Sanskrit text

It is Monday morning, for many the start of a new work week. Take the time this Monday, and for the next few Mondays, to keep a record of how many 'I hate Monday' type statements you hear.

How do you feel about Monday?

Reflect for a moment. Do that many 'bad' things really happen on Monday? I would be willing to bet your answer is 'No'. If your answer happens to be 'Yes', then you need to start looking at your attitude and expectations. Life has a funny way of living up or down to our expectations. No matter the date or day of the week the calendar says it is, start each day expecting it to be your greatest day ever.

~Yesterday, Tomorrow and Today in Perspective

It is very important to understand the relationship between yesterday, tomorrow and today.

~Yesterday

We cannot go back in time and change or redo yesterday, but here are three things you can do with your past; First, reflect on your past successes. Relive them with as much clarity and emotion as you can. Use these memories to build your self-confidence, self-esteem and to create an 'I Can' attitude. Second, learn from your past mistakes and failures. Take full responsibility for them, and be grateful for them. Yes, I said to be grateful for your failures. You cannot know which way up is, unless you know which way is down is. Third, release and let go all negative emotional baggage from your past. This is the toughest of the three to do, and the most important to work on. Carrying this weight will, at the very least, slow you down, and it can stop you completely.

~Tomorrow

The future is where all your dreams, hopes and goals live. Your potential lies ahead of you, not behind you. Tomorrow you have a clean slate, an unblemished record, a brand new beginning. Take care when building your vision of the future, it is where you will spend the rest of your life. Most importantly, by creating your vision of tomorrow, by having dreams and goals to reach for, you give meaning and purpose to today.

~Today

Today is the most important day of your life! Yesterday is gone. By the time tomorrow arrives it will be today. Today you are creating yesterday's memories. Today you are laying the foundation for tomorrow.

Everything you do, you do now. Everything else is either something you did do, or something you are going to do. Everything you do either takes you closer to your dreams and goals or it moves you away from them. Every day counts.

Make a habit of taking positive daily actions. Take steps daily that will move you closer to your dreams and goals. Plan your day based on your principles, values and what matters most to you, and then work your plan. Don't sit by and wait to "have" a great day, take action to "make" it a great day. Take care of today. If you do this, yesterday and tomorrow will take care of themselves.

Make Every Day a Great Day

Ron Kirkland