The Most Important Thing You’ll Do Today  

The Most Important Thing You’ll Do Today  

By: Dr. Roger Landry, MD, MPH

 When I was in my medical training, I was taught that if I could not bandage it, sew it up, treat it with medication, cut it out or otherwise physically modify it, then it was not for me to attempt to heal. Only several decades later did I learn what my medical school professors either didn’t know or were reluctant to discuss. We cannot be truly healthy unless we are spiritually healthy. Spiritual health, I have come to believe, is the glue of it all, the road map of our journey. Viktor Frankl agreed: “The spiritual dimension cannot be ignored, for it is what makes us human.”

One way to tap into that spiritual connection is by quieting what Buddhists would call our chattering “monkey minds.” We do that when we are fully present in the moment, not regretting the past or worrying about the future.

I often ask my grandkids, “What’s the most important thing you’re going to do today?” They laugh and answer, “We know pop-pop. It’s what we’re doing right now.” Being in the moment reduces stress and allows us to focus – not on lofty goals of the future, but just on the here and now.

This week, whenever you find yourself thinking about something other than what you are doing, take control. If you find your mind wandering, gently guide it back to what you’re doing in this moment. After all, this moment is the most important thing that you’ll do today.

Live long. Live well!