The story of tomorrow

Several days a week, at my usual café, I often see a group of 5-7 young men "holed up" in the back row. I say "holed up" because once they're there, they stay all morning, sometimes past lunchtime, even ordering takeout or instant noodles to fill their stomachs. I notice this group because they're quite unruly; not only do they laugh and talk loudly, but they also swear and use foul language, put their feet on the table, and occasionally smoke despite the café's "no smoking" sign in the air-conditioned room. Many times I've had to quietly remind them, but after a short while, they're back to their old habits. Because they're so loud, even though I don't want to listen, a few things they say still get overheard!

One person, let's call him A., often talks about his grandiose plans, like: "If you guys have capital, give it to me, I'll build a seaside hotel. Tourism is recovering, business is booming!" Another person, let's call him B., is no less ambitious: "Someday I'll invest in education; education is a really good business these days." Occasionally, a few other friends also talk about their big plans, as if they'd be left behind if they didn't: "I'll just make some real money, and someday I'll open a restaurant. People always need to eat, so opening a restaurant is definitely a sure way to avoid losses…"

These kinds of stories kept ringing in my ears. Listening to this group talk, I was completely impressed, because they were all about grand, ambitious plans, worth billions and tons of dollars. At first, I secretly admired them, thinking to myself that these young men, though seemingly rebellious, were quite determined. Gradually, day after day, month after month, whenever they met, they would pour out countless plans and promises for tomorrow, but nothing ever materialized in their conversations. Month after month, year after year, the same people sat idly in the corner of the cafe, puffing on cigarettes, cursing, and painting their own fantasies.

Tomorrow is such a vague timeframe. According to the natural course of the Earth's orbit, tomorrow quickly becomes today, the future quickly becomes the present, and all plans become a thing of the past… If you just sit still thinking about unrealistic things without taking concrete action to make them a reality, sadly, tomorrow will never come! Along life's journey, I've met and witnessed many people and lives like that. They talk a lot but work hard, or even don't bother to work at all, just talk incessantly!

It is said that the greatest distance in life is from the head to the hands. Thinking and speaking are already a kind of strength, but moving from thinking and speaking to action requires even greater courage and determination. The courage and determination of a person who acts will never wait for some vague tomorrow; their consciousness will urge them to seek/create opportunities, seize them, and act swiftly. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and all great things start from small actions. If you don't take the first step, if you don't dare to act, then what meaning is there in sitting still and talking about some invisible tomorrow?

I've met many people with big ambitions and grand dreams, but their lives are a tangled mess, a complete failure. They struggle with the present, resentful of their troubles, believing that with their forward-thinking mindset they deserve a better life. They never understand that these are just things they imagine, while what they actually possess is just a handful of cold, slippery water. They say they want to reach the pinnacle of fame, have a beautiful body, and possess a confident and attractive demeanor… but all they do is sleep until noon, be lazy about exercising, complain about being tired from sports, and grumble about being bored at work… They rely on their youth, shrug it off, and think, "Things will work out tomorrow!"

From ancient times to the present, time has always been described with metaphors like a galloping horse, a blink of an eye, or a raging storm… Meaning time flies by so quickly, so fast that if we waste even a single moment, the hourglass of our lives is slowly running out of its last grains. Ultimately, each person only has one life to live. To live in the present, to live for the present – ​​fully and completely – that is a life worth living. The story of tomorrow must begin today!