I had a companion when I was serving a mission for my church who said something very profound to me one day. He said that just before he got on the plane to leave for Thailand, his Father called to him and said, “Son, wherever you are… be there.”
Anyone who has been away from home for extended periods of time knows how difficult it is to focus when your past is on your mind… or even your future. The problem is that sometimes we hinder our future by not being in the present. This doesn’t mean that we forget or push out thoughts and memories of good times and hopes for a better future, it simply means that we take full advantage of the opportunities that lie in front of us NOW.
If we’re at work, we need to work. If we’re home, we need to be home and involved with our family there. If we’re playing soccer, just relax and play… you get the point. By keeping our eyes open to opportunities and situations that happen to us each day, we can be better prepared to bless the lives of others and ourselves now and in the future.