Recently, I reread Our Town by Thornton Wilder, which was turned into a wonderful movie. I first read this story in high school because it was on the required reading list. I’m always concerned about books that appear on this list because students have a tendency to slog through the pages without paying attention while thinking, “This can’t be good or important because they have to make us read it.” This concern of mine has renewed itself now that many school systems require students to read my own book, The Ultimate Gift. I can only hope these students will revisit the novel or the movie later in their lives as I did with Our Town and discover the treasures within.

Our Town chronicles a small group of people and the extraordinary impact of what otherwise seems like ordinary moments in their lives. There are definitely transformational moments in our personal and professional lives. Unfortunately, at the time, we don’t identify these moments as critical or even significant. My late, great friend and mentor, legendary Coach John Wooden, often reminded his players, “There are only a handful of important plays in a game. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you when the important plays are coming, so you have to give a 100% effort all the time.”
 

It's hard to live in the moment because there’s a great battle going on in our world today. I’m not referring to a battle to control a government or a country, but instead, it’s a battle to control our own minds. There are countless advertisers, marketers, content developers, and thought leaders striving to control our minds. On top of that, we are often our own greatest enemies when trying to focus and control our thinking.

 Unfortunately, as we experience any specific moment on any specific day, we are pulled in two diverse directions. First, we are tempted to think about things that happened in the past and suffer regrets about situations we no longer control. Then, we are inexorably drawn into the future and begin dwelling on upcoming problems or challenges that may or may not ever come to pass.

Those who will succeed in the future are those people who can clear the past from their minds and control their thinking today. If you can control your thoughts here and now, you can begin to control events and results yet to come. If you live to be a hundred years old, the key to having a significant life is to control your thoughts in the one moment you are living right now.

As you go through your day today, let the past lie, and the future will take care of itself as you focus your mind right now.

Author Bio

Jim Stovall is the President of the Emmy-award-winning Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of more than 50 books—eight of which have been turned into movies. He is also a highly sought-after platform speaker. Follow @Stovallauthor

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