Today Is My Masterpiece

I saw this quote this morning and it got me thinking about making the most of everyday."[Joseph Smith] was a young man, then a poor farm boy with very little education. He had nothing. His parents had nothing. He lived in a rural community, scarcely recognized outside its borders. And yet the angel [Moroni] said to him that 'he was a messenger sent from the presence of God . . . ; that God had a work for [Joseph] to do; and that [his] name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people' (Joseph Smith--History 1:33).
"How could such a thing be? Joseph must have wondered. He must have been absolutely stunned.
"And yet it has all come to
pass. And far greater will yet come to pass."

Joseph Smith could have concerned himself with his lack of education or his meager life circumstances. He could have said "I will get to the work the Lord has asked me to do in this life when my circumstances are better or after I have finished my education or..." But he didn't, he just did exactly as the Lord asked him to do and thankfully fulfilled his mission here.

We too have the opportunity everyday to fulfill our mission for that day and that moment. I was reminded today by Steve Chandler, of the great basketball coach John Wooden who said, "Make each day your masterpiece." That's different than focusing the whole year on one big game; or shooting for some future achievement... Very different. And Wooden won more national championships than any college basketball coach in history. How? …By not focusing on championships. An average Wednesday afternoon practice center in the gym in torn tee shirts was every bit as important a day as the day they played the national championship.

We can all make each day a prized day and relish in even the smallest achievements and learn from the biggest defeats.