Years ago, I was inspired by a quote from Omar Khayyam.  In the book Rubaiyat, he writes, “The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit will cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.”

This quote made it clear that I must take ownership of my actions, behaviors, and life. Breaking it down further, it is about today.

As leaders, we are focused on vision and a better tomorrow. As we should be. However, what we do each day creates a better tomorrow. This quote, in addition to other events in my life, is the inspiration for my new book soon to be released: Make Today Your Masterpiece. 

Think about it, each morning, we rise and have a clean slate. You may have appointments, meetings, etc. your schedule is filled. So the question is, what is your masterpiece? What would it look like at the end of the day?

Nelson Mandela once defined the leaders’ responsibility as to meet the needs of others: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we lived. The difference we have made in the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

For me, that defines what your masterpiece will look like. Each day ask yourself, how did I intentionally add value and make a difference in someone’s life?

In the end, all we have is today, tomorrow may never come, but today is yesterday’s tomorrow. Practice the habit and teach it to those close to you.