Today Is The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life

This phrase originated in the 60s, I think, and reflected a need at the time for spiritual solace, a re-generation of the soul and spirit of those seeking a new beginning, and a new meaning to life. It even formed the basis of a song sung by John Denver in the 70s.

Declaring it in the first person, i.e., “Today is the first day of the rest of my life” has also become a bit of a slogan for people seeking a newer meaning to life. But in my experience, it rarely has the desired effect. Whilst the spirit is willing to change, rarely do the circumstances surrounding the individual change, simply with that declaration. Nor does his or her physical, mental or emotional baggage. If baggage weighs you down, just do not make a declaration that “Today is the first day of the rest of your life” to make yourself feel better.

Start looking for ways to dump the baggage. The baggage could be physical, like a bad job, or bad health, or it could be mental/emotional like a bad relationship, a broken heart or worry over the health of a loved one. This is the hardest part of trying to cope with life, and the hardest when trying to overcome. Maybe the best thing to do is to pick one piece of baggage, and work at dumping it. If nothing else, it is a start.

Again, this is easier said than done. If you are a caring, feeling person, and care about whatever it is that is weighing you down, then nothing is going to be easy. Does this mean you should not try? No it does not. I keep trying to lighten my baggage. But so far, I have had only partial success. I have not got rid of anything permanently, but lightened it in places where it was very heavy.

Tell me your experience, please. Do you think my approach is wrong? Or am I just a weak person who can never shed baggage?

Good luck with your own excess baggage.