“Someday” is Today
June 24, 2011 by Lillie
Although my love affair with writing started in high school, I never expected to be able to make a living as a writer. So I worked in government jobs for a few years, then started my own business—first a plant shop, then an interior landscape company. I always planned to write “someday”—when I had time, when I could afford to retire … “someday.”
Then I walked into a chiropractor’s office for a routine treatment and had to be carried out after suffering a stroke. I spent months in rehabilitation learning how to walk again, learning how to function again. I wondered, Would I ever be normal again? Would I be able to run my business? Would I be able to take care of myself?
Would I be able to write—or would I even be alive—when that mythical, magical “someday” arrived?
I realized “someday” is today. I was not—and you are not—promised anything beyond this present moment. If I wanted to fulfill my dream of writing “someday,” I had to start.
Realistically, I couldn’t start immediately because I was too incapacitated. However, I made the commitment that I would work as hard as I could to become functional again and that as soon as I could, I would start a novel. Nineteen years ago when I was in rehab, there were no computers in the therapy area. The rehab hospital allowed me to use the office computer in the therapy department as part of my occupational therapy to learn to type again. I worked as hard as I could every chance I got to practice typing—one letter at a time until I mastered them all, then gradually increasing my speed.
“Someday” actually arrived several months after my stroke when I returned to work during the week. I didn’t have a computer at home, so I went to the office on weekends to write my novel on my work computer. That first novel was Stroke of Luck, a romance novel about a woman who had a stroke similar to mine. The writing was not only the culmination of a lifelong dream, it was also beneficial to my emotional recovery. Writing itself can be therapeutic, but so can achieving—or even taking steps toward achieving—any dream.
I’ve written other posts about my stroke wake-up call, but a recent comment reminded me that few people—or maybe no people!—were reading my posts in the early days of the blog, so maybe it’s time to re-visit the topic.
Rhys from How to Preach left a comment on my post Stroke Awareness Month 2011:
Just reading one of your posts where you make this quite momentous remark; “After the stroke, I realized that ‘someday’ is today”.
It took me many years to discover this, and I think you could well write more emphatically on just this point.
It is tragic when we discover we didn’t do something, and it is now TOO LATE because that person is no longer there!
Do you have a dream that you’re putting off for “someday”?
Are you delaying a family visit for projects at work or putting off starting your own business until you feel financially secure? Are you waiting to reconcile with an estranged loved one until he apologizes to you? Are you postponing learning a second language until you have some extra time or avoiding returning to school until you aren’t so busy? Are you deferring your art while you focus on your career or suspending a career change until the economy gets better? Are you procrastinating on something you really want to do because you’re afraid you won’t succeed?
Are you putting your dream on hold until that mythical, magical “someday” that may never come?
Someday is today! If you have dream, start on it now. Maybe all you can do is the equivalent of my sitting at a computer and hitting one key to type a single letter. But that single keystroke led to more keystrokes and faster keystrokes and more accurate keystrokes—until the keystrokes turned into pages of text and eventually a novel.
Make that first keystroke. Take that first step. Today is “someday”!
Wow…that is quite an inspirational story… so glad to hear that you recovered!!
Thank you, R. J. I hope my story encourages other people to follow their dreams.
Such an inspiring blog! I really did enjoy reading to this. I feel so good and thinkign positive now….that….someday, I’ll be on top and successful writer. =)
Zara,
Best wishes in your writing endeavors. Take one small step at a time, but keep moving forward.
Excellent post Lillie!! Thanks for visiting my blog today!
Bluestocking,
Thanks and you’re welcome.
That was awesome Lillie. I’m hoping that my column and posts are helping me toward my “someday” one step at a time until my eye return to normal.
Thank you for this. It made me smile … and remember.
Dominique,
I admire you for continuing to take every tiny step you can in spite of all your physical challenges. It would be easy to just give up, but you are not letting your illness destroy your dreams even while you realistically acknowledge the limitations you face.
That was really an inspiring post. I kind a relate because I always use the term “someday”. Then to think of it, time passes really fast and that “someday” is getting father instead of nearer. I assume “someday” is synonymous to procrastination and the only way to beat is to make a move right in the moment you thought of it.
Sherry,
The only way to do it is to “just do it,” as I wrote about in an earlier post: http://lillieammann.com/2011/02/04/just-do-it/
I remember my grandma used to say, “The greatest amount of wasted time is the time not getting started.” That rings so true. Procrastination is the assassin of opportunity.
Rose,
What a great saying! I appreciate your telling me about it.
There are those moments in life when you have a wake up call. Yours was very pointed and your response very inspiring. Time is precious and for some reason it is very easy to forget that. Tomorrow always seems to come and life marches on and yet that “someday” is elusive. The path between two moments in life can sometimes leave you in wonder: How did I get from there you here? You really have to be deliberate about your goals and as you say, JUST DO IT!
Derra,
So true. We can easily let life drift along and suddenly how we got where we ended up. We do need to be deliberate to know where we’re going or we certainly won’t get there.
There are people on this planet who thinks that a “someday” will came and their life will be better. They are wrong !
Ioana,
We can’t depend on magic to make things better. We have to take action ourselves.
Yes, I have a dream that I’am putting off for “someday”. I want to make an website about online marketing and thanks to your article I think that tommorow will be that “someday”
Marius,
Best wishes for moving forward with your dream.
Nice story Lillieman. You have right, we all must to assume that “someday” will never come and “The only way to do it is to just do it,”.
Thank you for such a nice post !
Glad you found the post helpful, Diana.
Lillie , that’s exactly why you need not letting go of your dreams and even have a dream in the first place at all. Thanks for sharing.
Dorothy,
I’m happy you agree with me and enjoyed the post.
You are right! we should value more “today” and try to do the things we can do now, because who knows what tomorrow may bring. I’m used to planning in advance my every move, and I’ve realized that I’m missing “today”.
Mia,
It’s easy to lose the present in the quest for the future. We should always have dreams for tomorrow but live for today.
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So true Lillie! Starting a new business, traveling around the world, becoming a chef. Why wait? The time is now, there will never be a “convenient” time. Your story is inspiring, particularly what you have had to overcome.
SenseiMatt,
That’s a great observation: there will never be a convenient time!
Hi Lilli, awesome article. Even when I was a child I was thinking of writing such articles about my love and spreading my love story across the globe. But, I just never got the courage to do something like this as I used to always wonder about the society. Now your article has been very inspiring for me and now I shall take measures to write on my past. Thanks once again.
David,
I’m glad the post encouraged you to take that first step in following your dream. Best wishes.
i totally agree with u, the best time for starting any work is today. but sometimes circumstances don’t allow us to do work on time
Shahzaib,
As I wrote above, I couldn’t start writing my novel right away after my stroke, but I started by doing the rehab that would eventually teach me to type again and that would build up my strength so I could sit at the computer. So I started working toward my goal right away, even though I couldn’t start doing what I dreamed of right away. You can always do something to get started.
This post afresh many memories on my mind. There were times when I was really good at sculpture. It began as a hobby and I realized I am very good at it. But then I had to take my mind off to score well in exams and get myself a decent job. Saw a beautiful statue last week and felt that I could have made many by now. It did hurt a little. You are right. Someday is today. I would not waste another day of my life, but make myself a piece of sculpture today to mark a new beginning in my life.
John,
I’m so glad to hear you going to sculpt again. I hope it brings you much joy and fulfillment.
I must admit that I as well use the “someday” excuse. Someday when we have enough income and I don’t have to work, that’s when I can spend all day writing my books. Someday when I feel really inspired. Someday when …. fill in the blank. It is so true that we need to realize that someday is today and just get started. You never know where it can take you. Thank you for this Lillie, I really need to stop making excuses and start trying to live the dream.
Jen,
Keep me posted. I’m looking forward to hearing that you are taking steps to live the dream.
Thanks, Lillie! This is a powerful truth that many of us need to heed! Thank you for sharing your experience and hopefully saving others from having to learn the lesson firsthand.
Jeanne,
I’m a firm believer in learning not only from our own mistakes but also from the mistakes of others.
Thanks for this wonderful posting, Lillie. I had this moment in college, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do – just not what I had been doing! The spirit of entrepreneurship took hold in business school and while covering some stories as a news writer for Lehigh University’s student-run newspaper, the Brown and White. Since then, I’ve started an online editing and proofreading business, and while it still has some growing to do, I’m finally on the right track. Thanks again for sharing your story.
Matt,
You had your epiphany at a young age. Best wishes for great success.
Your comment, “Are you procrastinating on something you really want to do because you’re afraid you won’t succeed?” really touches on the fear factor for most of us. Anytime we go outside of our comfort zone, we stand at a precipice or an opportunity. Lillie, thank you for the inspiration from your own story of overcoming obstacles!
Sally,
Yes, we all face that fear from time to time.
Someday is just only a dream. It’s uncertain to happen. We live in today.. so we must do our best today..
Jerry,
Too many people don’t have that understanding. They look forward to a future that may never come.