Quote of the day by American Philosopher, Will Durant: ‘Today is your lucky day. Forget failures except what you are going to do right now’

What if the secret to making every day count isn’t about planning for tomorrow or dwelling on yesterday? American philosopher Will Durant captured this idea perfectly when he said, “Forget mistakes. Forget failure. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day.” Durant’s words are a reminder that the past—our failures, regrets, or missteps—shouldn’t define our present. Instead, the power lies in the choices we make in the here and now, and the opportunities we seize today.

Durant emphasises that holding onto past errors or worrying about outcomes only distracts us from action. By focusing solely on what we can do in the present, we unlock momentum, creativity, and purpose. Every new day becomes an invitation, a chance to act without the baggage of yesterday. In essence, “today is your lucky day” is more than optimism—it’s a philosophy of deliberate living. It encourages people to release what no longer serves them and engage fully with what they can influence: their actions in this very moment.

About Will Durant

To truly understand the weight of Durant’s advice about seizing the present, it helps to look at the life behind the words. William James Durant, born in 1885 in North Adams, Massachusetts, to French-Canadian Catholic parents, was a thinker who bridged history and philosophy like few others. He first trained for the priesthood, following his mother’s hopes, but his curiosity soon led him to philosophy and social thought.




Durant explored socialism in his early years, yet the turbulence of World War I and a keen observation of human behaviour taught him that a lust for power often shapes politics. His true passion, however, remained philosophy. He immersed himself in thinkers like Spinoza, prioritising discipline and deliberate action over impulsive desires. For Durant, to live as your “deliberate self” meant rising above fleeting passions and committing to meaningful, moral action—a principle that echoes in his call to focus entirely on today.



Durant went on to write the eleven-volume The Story of Civilisation with his wife, Ariel, and the widely acclaimed The Story of Philosophy, works that not only chronicled human history but also made complex ideas accessible to everyone. His life and writings remind us that philosophy isn’t abstract—it’s a toolkit for living fully, learning from the past, but acting decisively in the present.