Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Whenever a friend asks me about my future, I cannot help but reflect both my past and present. My distant and close memories converge a path that leads to my present, or how I got to where I am today.

We are all accumulations of our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows. That description seems very befitting, almost trivial – but profoundly important to grasp. I have struggled with my past: things I wished I could have done differently. Throughout high school, I tried to be different. Every year, as a matter of fact, was a new year. A new year calls for a new person. Upon arriving at the College of William and Mary, I learned to accept certain aspects of my tomorrows. In addition, I saw that refusal to acknowledge our yesterdays can cause for a confusing present, and stumbling future. By the time I applied to colleges, I was ever more perplexed at what I wanted to be, as my interests were shaky and unpredictable at best. A lesson in yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows cannot be more understated, now, as we college students come face to face with Life in these four years.

Our yesterdays shape us. They are rigid, fixed, and spur powerful interfaces* toward our todays and tomorrows. We look back to our distant, fond memories. Days sweetened by the grace of our memories, even as the light to our overwhelming bad* moments. The tests, and the panic for finals only seem a dim, distant light. They are tools for the wise, when used appropriately. Mistakes made once can be corrected when the situation comes around again for a second round. We cannot deny our yesterdays, nor can we attempt to replace them.

Yesterdays lead to todays, which is our everyday endeavor. Todays are working long and short term goals, almost in the same way working memory is explained in Psychology. Every minute and every hour is filled with activities with a gush of emotions. We jolt and smile when we see friends. Our actions become competitive when playing sports, and we set a stone face while focusing in class. Even more importantly, todays are the little pieces to advance our yesterday’s follies. This can be as much as writing a paper that you meant to get to yesterday, or even making amends with friends after a tough confrontation the day before. We deal with triumphs and disasters that will become part of tomorrow; the only difference is whether you choose to resolve this issue today, or to leave it for tomorrow.

There is hardly an absolute fulfilling today, so we have tomorrow to continue our quest. Tomorrow provides ambition – whether it simply amounts to desire to see another day. There is hope – hope that we will accomplish something great. A hope for a prosperous and soon today. There is resiliency to face tomorrow’s challenges. To bridge two worlds together, we work hard today in order to prepare bit by bit for tomorrow’s challenges.

Our yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows are our greatest assets. Yesterdays serve as teachers for today and tomorrow. Todays are ever working, bit by bit, carrying great consequences with little actions. Tomorrows fuel our ambition, and our desire to see another day. Understand how these three words play a role in your life, and I guarantee you will find a fulfilling experience at not only the College, but in life as well.