D . I . COLUMNIST The Real Deal with Tommy D ' Aprile
How many of you have heard these sayings before ? “ Enjoy every day like it was your last .” “ Don ’ t take a day for granted because it may be your last .” “ Tell people you love how important they are every day because you never know what could happen in a day .” I could go on and on , but I think you get the point .
These sayings are heard , but are they listened to ? I know you have heard people say , “ Are you listening to me ?” Hearing and listening are two very distinctly different terms and have way different meanings .
A good friend of mine reminds me quite often to smell the roses . Why ? Because we forget . In our days of business and clutter , how many of you actually take time daily to be thankful for the day even when it ’ s early in the morning ? Not waiting for a good day first before you are thankful is important . The point is that many of us would rather complain than project a good day ahead of time .
I have said it before that if you are controlled by your circumstances you will never be happy . The choice to have a great day lies in your attitude . Not to say we all don ’ t have those days we would rather forget , but instead being thankful even in trials makes a huge difference in your attitude . Getting back to enjoying every day is very important .
Saying things like “ I am happy , I am grateful , I am blessed , I will not worry , I will let things go , and I will laugh a lot ,” not only can , but will change your life . People would not willingly drink poison , but they will ingest the toxic chemicals of a bad attitude daily .
So , if today were your last day on this earth , what would you do differently ? Don ’ t wait until tomorrow to start changing . First start with your nasty all-about-me attitude and start putting others ’ needs above your own , then actually be grateful for this day , not tomorrow yet , but this day !
We continue putting off things and they never get done . Sound familiar ? No one taking their last breath will say things like , “ I wish I made more money ,” but they will say things like , “ I wish I had more time to spend with those I love .” Are you getting the point ?
Many of my columns have a common theme : being a better you . I don ’ t write these so that you will like me , but so you will start appreciating who you are and start using your gifts and talents to become a better you . You see , loving yourself is key to loving the people close to you . If you are ugly and hateful on the inside , it will only spill on to the people you care about .
It ’ s so simple to change , as long as we get rid of pride and realize we need people and relationships . With pride and fear running inside , you will never be able to become vulnerable to experience life at its fullest . Again , this has nothing to do with how much money you have . It has to do with the time you have in each day to be grateful and love those around you .
Contrary to popular belief , making someone ’ s day better can actually make you feel better , and in turn , change someone ’ s life for the better , including your own . So , if today were your last , what changes would you make ? Today may not be your last , but it could be . Think about it and make a change today . The choice is yours to make ! DI
Email Tommy at tommyd @ dragillustrated . com
March / April 2023
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