Do It Now!

By H.D. Paramahamsa Omkarananda Saraswati

You cannot depend upon tomorrow.

Whatever good you wish to do tomorrow, do it now. Whatever noble thought you wish to think, or grand feeling you want to entertain, or charity you wish to do tomorrow, do it now. Whatever great or spiritual person you wish to meet, or whatever inspiring book you desire to read, or whatever discipline you intend to take upon yourself in order to obtain divine experience tomorrow, do it now. Whatever prayer you wish to say, or whatever meditation you wish to practise, or whatever wonderful work you wish to undertake tomorrow, do it now.

Because, tomorrow your mind may change, or the opportunity may be lost. The dark force, the embodiment of negative power in the world, may quickly lead you into some easy pleasure, or some temptation, or mislead you in any one of the thousands undetectable ways. As a rule, the dark force that destroys success in good things, is exceptionally vigilant, dynamic and cunning. It may mislead you with the best of intentions, or even in the name of God. It did not spare even great Saints, and we form its easy victims. Even if, by some Grace of God, the dark force fails to trouble us, by tomorrow, we may have some physical complaint, or some misfortune, or some disability, some new development in circumstances, or find ourselves in new situations, which make it impossible for us to do any good or think of God.

There are so many of so very little noticeable possibilities which can cut us off from all that is good, or great, or wonderful.

Everyday, we find in the world instances of people who have, by delay in doing, lost golden opportunities of attainment, and live in regret that it is too late to fulfil the good they planned to do. We don't lack around us examples of those who have passed away from the scene of life, without bringing to a success their most cherished of wishes, ideas and plans of doing good. We can never depend upon tomorrow. This hour is in our hand, and is to be fully and quickly used for the noblest of things we can do.

If once we postpone a good thing, and say, 'tomorrow', that forms a tendency and a habit, and we would be always saying, 'tomorrow', 'tomorrow', and that tomorrow never comes. Therefore, all good things let us go on doing immediately. This is the secret of progress, success, attainment.

A good impulse, denied immediate fulfilment, can be lost, or weakened, leaving us poorer for it, in every way. The good that is instantly done, awakens something more of the latent goodness in us, strengthens the good tendencies, and causes new and greater opportunities for doing more good, and thus makes our life richer in resources, in wealth, in prosperity, in success, in light, in inner power.

One good leads to another. One good brings another, and, thus, the good is multiplied. One delay makes another delay, and the matters go out of course for a long period of time, even when attempts are made to check it. The moment a good thing is quickly done, we are at once free for doing something other, something better and bigger, and the circumstances for it will also arise. When one brick is added to another, with unbroken succession, at last a whole grand citadel stands before us. Therefore, use all your resources and talents in doing today, now, whatever good, or grand, or noble, or great, or right, or quite necessary thing you wish to do tomorrow, or sometime later.

Whatever is not good, not divine, not grand, not right, not valuable, not quite necessary, not conducive to evolution and growth, not correct in the eyes of the all-seeing God, let us postpone, keep it for tomorrow. And, if it is really not good, not grand, you can be sure the accidents of time will postpone it further, or give you no circumstance to do it, and thus, save you from an error. If you have to misunderstand someone, postpone it: time may show you that that misunderstanding would have been unfounded and harmful to yourself and your own interests. If you have to criticise someone, keep it pending: time may show you that that other one had never made the mistake, and your criticism would have been most unjust. If you have to react to something negative, delay it. Time will have washed it away, without your effort to clean it; and, you are doubly rich; for, you have in the meantime built up something positive, something good, something grand. And there, on the other hand, time has served you faithfully by eliminating the negative force.

Do it at once, – if you have to give someone a kind word, or a generous gift, or good news, or an act of service, or a helping hand, or the aid of a prayer, or the gesture of best wishes. Be a builder, and let all the light, all the love, all the joy, all the prosperity, all the glory, all the blessedness be yours.

Be uncompromisingly good: this is your great wealth, great power, great good-fortune. Do everything good, quickly, beautifully, energetically, selflessly, nobly.
Goodness and dynamism, – these two are the secrets of quick success, growing prosperity, attractive personality, healthy body, youthful appearance, peaceful mind, happy life.

Let us not lose even a single opportunity to serve, to sacrifice, to help a great cause, to give, to do good, or to be good, or to progress spiritually.

Whatever is good, do it now, with utmost enthusiasm.

This is the first principle of positive, dynamic, successful, happy living.