Lately, I thought about this topic a lot because there are major events happening in my life, so here are a few quotes about future, present and past to help me process it. Some things I did in the past are catching up to me, I am making major steps for my future and all this is happening in the present trying not to forget to enjoy it because that’s all we have: the NOW.

So, I thought I would explore this topic with a few quotes and share my thoughts on each quote.

Today is a gift

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is  why it's called the present. - quotes about future present and past

Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.

Bil Keane

Also known from Kung-Fu panda ๐Ÿ˜€

This is definitely something I had trouble with in the past. I was the person living way too much in the future and consuming myself for it. Then for a while I lived too much in the present and didn’t think about the future at all… and as with everything, you gotta find the balance ๐Ÿ˜‰

Best quote about Future, Present and Past

President Thomas S. Monson

The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.

Thomas S. Monson

This is probably the only quote you need for life, it says it all. People tend to have regrets about the past or say “I wish I would have done things differently”. Well, big wuuhuu… You cannot change the past! The only thing you can do is to learn from it. And this doesn’t count just for you us a human but for us as humanity.

Regarding the future people tend to worry about it. But you cannot know what will happen in the future. You can make sure that you are ready for it though, so prepare!

And then there is also the present… Try not to get caught up in the 2 things mentioned above and also try to live! That’s what life actually is about.

Albert Einstein quote about Future, Present and Past

Albert Einstein with pipe - quote about future present past

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Albert Einstein

I had to include this quote from Albert Einstein, but it is basically a repetition of the one mentioned before. And I don’t like the part about tomorrow, because hope has a kind of negative meaning to me. Don’t hope for tomorrow, act for tomorrow! You can do things to prepare, don’t just hope that everything will go well. Instead, do your best in order to make it happen. The result is out of your control in the end, but you can increase the chance of getting the expected result by preparing. Albert, I am sorry but I don’t agree with that, we can do better than just hope ๐Ÿ˜‰

The past at some point influenced the present

Carl Sagan quote

You have to know the past to understand the present.

Carl Sagan

This quote has actually multiple meanings to me. Let’s go with the lighter meaning which is that everyone has a story. If you know a persons story you understand why they are who they are right now. By understanding their past, you understand who they are right now.

Then there is also the fact that things can happen in your life (positive and negative) that were caused by yourself in the past. Like this week the past caught up with me in a negative way you could say. I did stupid things in the past and now years later I am paying the price for it, even if I might not be as stupid anymore. But the only thing we can do is move forward and make the best out of it… oh, and LEARN from it ๐Ÿ˜€ to not do the same stupid things again… karma, I wrote a few things down, you can stop punishing me now ๐Ÿ˜›

Living in the moment

Annie Lennox and Eurythmics quote

The future hasn’t happened yet and the past is gone. So I think the only moment we have is right here and now, and I try to make the best of those moments, the moments that I’m in.

Annie Lennox

Living in the moment can have different meanings… probably the most common one would be “I don’t give a fuck about tomorrow, let’s partyyyyyy”. Well, I thought that in the past too. Now the meaning has changed for me. Living in the moment means being responsible about your actions and their consequence and truly living in the moment. Like taking a walk and enjoying the beautiful view, like working on something and being fully focused, like writing an article for this blog and committing fully to that so I get lost in the process, like drinking juice and tasting how good it is, like talking to your best friends and enjoying every second of the talk… That is living in the moment for me ๐Ÿ™‚

Create your future

Peter Drucker quote

The best way to predict the future is to create it.

Peter Drucker

This quote probably describes me best. I am very much an “in the future” guy (so, I have to try to balance it with the present). But also I think that YOU can learn from this quote. You don’t have to be anxious about the future if you do your best to make it better, right? And again this doesn’t only count for you as an individual, but for us as humanity! Every single one of us is responsible for the future of humanity and we can influence it by our everyday choices.

Just think of all the products you are using on a daily basis! Where do they come from? Were they manufactured in a morale way? Let’s say you don’t like the company Amazon and you don’t want to support them. Then don’t order from Amazon! That’s your choice! “But if I don’t order from Amazon it’s more effort”. Well, la-di-da lazy ass… If you want to change the world you have to put in the effort. And if not, don’t complain about Amazon (I’d rather see you putting in the effort :P). But really, think about this. If everyone would change their buying behavior, we as humans decide which companies will survive and which ones not… No regulations from the government needed.