I try not to worry about the future - so I take each day just one

In the endless ebb and flow of life, the future often looms like a shadow on the horizon, ever distant, yet casting a long and sometimes oppressive presence over the present. Tom Wilson's words, "I try not to worry about the future - so I take each day just one anxiety attack at a time," capture the essence of the human struggle to reconcile with the unknown. It is a humble admission that we, like the ancient heroes, are often beset by fears and uncertainties, and that the future, with all its potential dangers, can paralyze us if we allow it. The wisdom here, however, lies in the recognition that peace comes not from vanquishing these fears all at once, but from the courage to face them, one step—one day—at a time.

In ancient times, the great philosophers and warriors often spoke of the battle against inner turmoil. Socrates, in his pursuit of wisdom, taught his followers to question the fears that ruled their lives. He famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” yet he also understood that to live a life free from anxiety required a deep acceptance of uncertainty and the unknown. Wilson’s words resonate with this same idea: rather than succumbing to the overwhelming weight of what might come, we must focus on what is—the present moment—and take it with the strength and clarity it demands, one moment, one breath at a time.

Consider the tale of Hercules, the mighty demigod tasked with performing the Twelve Labors. Hercules’ journey was filled with fearsome challenges—each more daunting than the last. Yet, it was his ability to take each task one at a time, to confront each trial with determination, that enabled him to triumph. Had he focused solely on the entire journey, overwhelmed by the enormity of what lay ahead, he may never have completed his labors. Instead, by breaking down his challenges into smaller, more manageable steps, he found the strength to face each anxiety as it came, understanding that he could not control the future, but he could control how he faced each new day.

Marcus Aurelius, the Stoic emperor, similarly recognized the futility of allowing worry about the future to rob him of peace in the present. In his Meditations, he wrote, “You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” Wilson’s approach mirrors the Stoic philosophy: by relinquishing control over the future and accepting that anxiety is often the product of trying to control the uncontrollable, we regain our agency in the present. Aurelius reminds us that strength is found not in the avoidance of challenges but in how we choose to respond to them—calmly, with reason, and with an awareness of the limits of our control.

The Buddha, too, taught that suffering arises from attachment—to desires, to outcomes, and to the future itself. He urged his followers to practice mindfulness, to be fully present in each moment, and to release the grip of fear that arises from a mind preoccupied with what is yet to come. In the same way, Wilson’s quote reflects the mindful practice of not letting anxiety about the future steal the peace of today. When we focus on the present, on the task at hand, we allow ourselves to engage with life in its fullest form, undistracted by the weight of what we cannot yet know.

The lesson to be learned from Wilson’s reflection is one of mindfulness and courage. We cannot always control the future, nor can we predict the storms that may come our way. The only power we have is in how we face each day, each challenge, with the knowledge that we do not need to conquer everything at once. Greatness lies not in defeating our fears but in acknowledging them, and then facing them with the strength to move forward, one step at a time. Just as the great warriors of the past did not overwhelm themselves with the entirety of their quests but focused instead on the next battle, so must we approach our own fears and anxieties—one day, one step at a time.

In our own lives, the call to action is clear: we must break free from the chains of future anxiety and focus on the present. If we are overwhelmed by the thought of what may lie ahead, we must learn to focus on what we can control today. Whether it is in our work, our relationships, or our personal growth, we must take each day as it comes, allowing ourselves to live fully in the moment. Wilson’s words remind us that it is not the future we must conquer, but our own fears of it, and that peace is found in taking one step forward, in one day at a time. By doing so, we gain the strength to face whatever the future may bring, knowing that we have already triumphed over the anxiety of the unknown.