One Day at a Time

kristina leonardi
3 min readMay 3, 2017
Photo credit: Kristina Leonardi

A good friend would often quote a Yiddish sayingto me: Mensch tracht, Gott lacht. Man plans, God laughs.

The renowned Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh offers another perspective: “People sacrifice the present for the future. But life is possible only in the present.”

In this era of instant everything and a world of answers literally at our fingertips, one of the hardest things for us to do is live in that space where we don’t know what will happen next. With the unemployment rate at record highs, more and more people are learning the hard way how to experience life in this manner.

People in career transition, artists and freelancers have to operate without knowing where their next paycheck will be coming from. People in new relationships are at often at sea in unchartered emotional waters. Whenever we put ourselves in unfamiliar social territory or a take a trip to a place we’ve never been, we journey into the unknown — which is why it’s so important to travel; it’s one of the most natural ways to be in the present.

An easy way to add anxiety and stress in your life is to allow yourself to be overwhelmed by all the things you think you need to accomplish in the near or not-so-near future. The reality is that you can’t possibly know what tomorrow will bring, so you may as well trust that the right decision or action today will lead you where you need to go, even if you don’t know where you’re ultimately going.

So when your life is a big question mark or an empty slate, or if you find yourself in terra incognita, I can help you fill in the blanks and navigate your way through, or simply show you how to be okay with where you right now. Give me a buzz and I will be the lighthouse in the fog, the compass in your pocket, to help guide you to your most authentic destination, in time and on time!

(Originally published on www.kristinaleonardi.com on September 14, 2010)

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About the Author:

Kristina Leonardi is a career/life coach and motivational speaker who has a proven record of getting “stuck” clients empowered to make lasting changes aligned with their true passions and talents in a short time. She provides a practical framework for each individual to make the most of their personal and professional lives, allowing them to recognize, connect to, and fulfill their role in the world at large and live with clarity, balance and direction. For more information visit www.kristinaleonardi.com or check out her profile on The Muse’s Coach Connect.

Click here to check out Kristina’s book of 131 “thought-provoking, inspirational and entertaining essays to keep you connected to yourself and this journey called Life” Personal Growth Gab (PGG) Volume One from Amazon.

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Read more about me and my work in these essays, which I refer to as PGG’s:

All Roads, Same Place | And Now, A Word from Our Sponsor | Strong Medicine | 10,000 Hours | Express Yourself

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kristina leonardi

Speaker,Coach,Writer.Very Tall. Expertise:People. All kinds, what makes 'em tick, how they fit into the world, how they can best connect to themselves + others.