Living Forward from Today with a Perspective of Yesterday

I’m writing this on election day 2020.

It is a big day from today’s perspective. Lots of energy and emotions tied to the outcome. What will happen in the hours, days, and weeks to come after we learn the outcome of the election?

As I think about the importance of today, it’s helpful to think about critical days in the past.

By looking back, through my life, the history of our country, and the planet, there were many other big days.

An argument could be made that some of those days in the past were much more impactful – for the participants of that day and for the repercussions felt in the years and generations afterward.

Almost exactly 100 years ago, much of the world was consumed by World War I and an accompanying global pandemic. While records were not as accurate as today, many more people died as a percentage of the population than have thus far died during this one.

And when it comes to elections, throughout the world, there have been countless struggles for power that were much more contested than what we are dealing with today.

So as we all go through the emotional rollercoaster of 2020 and beyond, it is helpful to look back and see that the challenges we’ve faced before have brought to where we are today. Regardless of the place you find yourself today, your life is still a work in progress.

The challenge is to live life in the moment, to be present and aware. And, at the same time, consider the outcome of events from the perspective of tomorrow. That no matter how good or bad it seems today, your perspective will change with time, and your choices.