Looking Forward to Something

"When we give ourselves something to look forward to, no matter how great or small the event, we are giving ourselves the gift of hope. And where there’s hope built into tomorrow, there are all kinds of possibilities for overcoming whatever obstacle we face today." ~ Ruth Senter

I visited an elderly woman named Ethel in a nursing home for 13 years. She passed away in November 2009. In her final years of life, Ethel struggled with failing eyesight and a number of health challenges. She was in a fair amount of pain... pretty much all the time.

Even with all this going on, Ethel found joy in the simple things in life and she ALWAYS had something on her upcoming schedule to look forward to. Whether it was a visit from one of her sons, a family gathering or a church event, she always had something that she was thinking about and planning for.

Watching her motivate herself TODAY because of what she had coming up in her future was inspiring. She also had these events out in front of her... motivating her to continue, even when her daily life was sometimes painful and difficult.

I'm not advocating 'living in the future' but it really can be an inspiration to pick future events as tools to cultivate motivation and energy for today!
Ethel & having things to look forward to