THE PRESENT
IMAGINE THERE IS A BANK THAT
CREDITS YOUR ACCOUNT EACH MORNING WITH $86,400.
IT CARRIES OVER NO BALANCE FROM DAY TO DAY.
EVERY EVENING IT DELETES WHATEVER PART OF THE BALANCE
YOU FAILED TO USE DURING THE DAY.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
DRAW OUT EVERY CENT, OF COURSE!
EACH OF US HAS SUCH A BANK.
IT'S NAME IS TIME.
EVERY MORNING, IT CREDITS YOU WITH 86,400 SECONDS.
EVERY NIGHT IT WRITES OFF, AS LOST WHATEVER OF THIS YOU
HAVE FAILED TO INVEST TO GOOD PURPOSE.
IT CARRIES OVER NO BALANCE.
IT ALLOWS NO OVERDRAFT.
EACH DAY IT OPENS A NEW ACCOUNT FOR YOUR.
EACH NIGHT IT BURNS THE DAY'S DEPOSITS; THE LOSS IS YOURS.
THERE IS NO GOING BACK.
THERE IS NO DRAWING AGAINST THE "TOMORROW."
YOU MUST LIVE IN THE PRESENT ON TODAY'S DEPOSITS.
INVEST IT SO AS TO GET FROM IT THE UTMOST IN HEALTH, HAPPINESS, AND SUCCESS!
THE CLOCK IS RUNNING.
MAKE THE MOST OF TODAY.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE YEAR,
ASK A STUDENT WHO FAILED A GRADE.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE MONTH,
ASK A MOTHER WHO GAVE BIRTH TO A PRE-MATURE BABY.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE WEEK,
ASK THE EDITIOR OF A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER.
TO REALIZE THE THE VALUE OF ONE DAY,
ASK A DAILY WAGE LABORER WITH KIDS TO FEED.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE HOUR,
ASK THE LOVERS WHO ARE WAITING TO MEET.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE MINUTE,
ASK THE MAN WHO MISSED HIS TRAIN.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE SECOND,
ASK THE PERSON WHO JUST AVOID AN ACCIDENT.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE MILLISECOND,
ASK THE PERSON WHO WON A SILVER MEDAL IN THE OLYMPICS.
TREASURE EVERY MOMENT THAT YOU HAVE!
AND TREASURE IT MORE BECAUSE YOU'VE SHARED IT WITH SOMEONE
SPECIAL--SPECIAL
ENOUGH TO SHARE YOUR TIME.
AND REMEMBER THAT TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE.
YESTERDAY IS HISTORY.
TOMORROW IS A MYSTERY.
TODAY IS A GIFT.
THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED, "THE PRESENT."
CREDITS YOUR ACCOUNT EACH MORNING WITH $86,400.
IT CARRIES OVER NO BALANCE FROM DAY TO DAY.
EVERY EVENING IT DELETES WHATEVER PART OF THE BALANCE
YOU FAILED TO USE DURING THE DAY.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
DRAW OUT EVERY CENT, OF COURSE!
EACH OF US HAS SUCH A BANK.
IT'S NAME IS TIME.
EVERY MORNING, IT CREDITS YOU WITH 86,400 SECONDS.
EVERY NIGHT IT WRITES OFF, AS LOST WHATEVER OF THIS YOU
HAVE FAILED TO INVEST TO GOOD PURPOSE.
IT CARRIES OVER NO BALANCE.
IT ALLOWS NO OVERDRAFT.
EACH DAY IT OPENS A NEW ACCOUNT FOR YOUR.
EACH NIGHT IT BURNS THE DAY'S DEPOSITS; THE LOSS IS YOURS.
THERE IS NO GOING BACK.
THERE IS NO DRAWING AGAINST THE "TOMORROW."
YOU MUST LIVE IN THE PRESENT ON TODAY'S DEPOSITS.
INVEST IT SO AS TO GET FROM IT THE UTMOST IN HEALTH, HAPPINESS, AND SUCCESS!
THE CLOCK IS RUNNING.
MAKE THE MOST OF TODAY.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE YEAR,
ASK A STUDENT WHO FAILED A GRADE.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE MONTH,
ASK A MOTHER WHO GAVE BIRTH TO A PRE-MATURE BABY.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE WEEK,
ASK THE EDITIOR OF A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER.
TO REALIZE THE THE VALUE OF ONE DAY,
ASK A DAILY WAGE LABORER WITH KIDS TO FEED.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE HOUR,
ASK THE LOVERS WHO ARE WAITING TO MEET.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE MINUTE,
ASK THE MAN WHO MISSED HIS TRAIN.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE SECOND,
ASK THE PERSON WHO JUST AVOID AN ACCIDENT.
TO REALIZE THE VALUE OF ONE MILLISECOND,
ASK THE PERSON WHO WON A SILVER MEDAL IN THE OLYMPICS.
TREASURE EVERY MOMENT THAT YOU HAVE!
AND TREASURE IT MORE BECAUSE YOU'VE SHARED IT WITH SOMEONE
SPECIAL--SPECIAL
ENOUGH TO SHARE YOUR TIME.
AND REMEMBER THAT TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE.
YESTERDAY IS HISTORY.
TOMORROW IS A MYSTERY.
TODAY IS A GIFT.
THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED, "THE PRESENT."
☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 2
2) Constant action overcomes cold; being still overcomes heat. Purity
and stillness give the correct law to all under heaven.