--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Carroll, Elsie C. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 19 number: 3 published: 1916-01 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Elsie C. Carroll, "Live Today," *Improvement Era* 19, no. 3 (January 1916): 218–219.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1903unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1903unse start_page: 218 end_page: 219 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1916-01) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1903unse publication_year: 1916 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1916, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Live Today Live Today BY ELSIE C. CARROLL Someone has wisely said that, "Each day brings its own op-portunity for doing a good which never could have been donebefore and never can be done again." And yet, how many peoplelive only in the past, and how many others only in the future! The yesterdays are gone forever and are valuable only for thelessons they have brought and the good they have already accom-plished. Nothing can be gained by living in the yesterdays, andletting the todays go by unheeded. On the other hand, the tomorrows may never come. Whocan tell ? And if they do, they will bring their own opportunities.It is the today, the here and the now, that really counts, and that isall. If one could only realize the value of living just one day at atime and making that day a perfect day, what a life would be lived. Alas, how often when the prompting comes to do some usefuldeed, to cheer a lonely spirit on its way, or to help a weakerbrother on his rugged trail, we put aside the impulse with thethought that there is plenty of time; that we can do it tomorrowjust as well, and so the opportunity is neglected. The day passes ;tomorrow comes with its own tasks. The noble impulse dies forwant of nourishment, and the good which might have been doneis never accomplished. This thought was brought forcibly to my mind recently. Iwas visiting an invalid friend. I found that he loved to read, andthat he had read and re-read all the books that the family pos-sessed. I discovered that I had several books that would give himpleasure, and I resolved to bring them to him the next day. Whydid I put that resolve in the future? The next day came. It wascrowded with its duties. Another came and another, and still thebooks remained on my shelf. Soon I forgot my good resolution.Then one day I heard that my friend was dead. Coming with myremorse over the sad news, was the accusation of my consciencetelling me that I had thrown away the opportunity to cheer thelast dark days of a suffering friend. Across the street from my home lives a dear old lady. She isncaring her hundredth milestone, so that T realize that before longher weary old feet will totter into the grave. She is somewhatdeaf, so that people do not trouble to talk to her much. She isnot able to leave her home, so there she sits day after day by herwindow starving for human companionship in a world full of LIVE TODAY 219 people. I pass by thinking" that I will call tomorrow. But to-morrow there is ironing to be done, and cooking, and mending,and the dear old lady is robbed of the bright spot I might have putinto her dull day. I know that sometime when I pass by I shallmiss the sweet, wrinkled face from the window, and then my heartwill cry out in remorse, "Why did I not leave part of my ironingor mending, or cook a more simple dinner, that I might have takenthe gift of my love and sympathy to her before it was too late?"I may place flowers on her coffin, but what are they? It is thelooks and words and acts of love and kindness that we give todaythat brighten the lives about us. Not the flowers on their graves.Many of us have ambitions to do some certain thing in lifebesides the regular duties of each day. But instead of working alittle toward our ideal every day, we think we must wait until wehave more time. Perhaps we have an artist's soul, or a poet's.We long to paint beautiful pictures or write inspiring songs. Butbecause other tasks claim most of our time, we put our dreamsinto the future. We say that when we have more leisure we willpaint or write. Why do we not utilize the little leisure whichcan be snatched from each day? That is the way to keep ourdreams alive, and then some day they will all come true. The great Russian thinker Tolstoi has illustrated a mightytruth in his little story, The Three Questions. He tells how a certain king once thought that if he couldalways tell when was the right time to begin everything, if heknew who were the right people to attend to it, and above all, if healways knew the most important thing to do, he would never failin any of his undertakings. He was so anxious to have this, theproblem of success, solved for him, that he issued a proclamationstating that he would give a great reward to any one who wouldanswer the three questions satisfactorily. From all over his dominions learned men came, hoping to re-ceive the reward. But their answers were all different, so theking could agree with none of them. At last he heard of a wisehermit who lived alone in the woods. The king went to the her-mit with his questions, and this is the answer he received: "There is only one time over which we have any power, that isthe present The most necessary man is he with whom you are now,for you do not know whether you will ever have dealings with anyone else. The most important business, iS} to do that man good, forthat purpose alone was man sent into life." Let us make a resolution with the man who uttered thesewords: "I pass through this life but once. If there is any good I can do,let me do it today, for tomorrow may be too late, and I shall not passthis way again." ITHICA, NEW YORK