Every day is indeed a gift. I know that most of us don’t like to think about our own mortality, but the fact is that time is finite for each one of us. Fortunately, in most cases we get to live a long time before that happens, but not always. Sadly, I read in the newspaper far too often about someone who had died in a car crash or other unfortunate accident. I’ve also recently been informed of several friends and colleagues who must manage the burden of dealing with a terminal illness in their families. You never know when your time will be up. Therefore, you should not get bogged down in the unimportant and/or take your close relationships for granted.
Remorse and regret are tough to live with. You don’t always get a second chance despite what Hollywood would like you to believe. You can’t count on the magic of a contrived happy conclusion. What you prioritize explains who you are and what you value. I like to think that although I am imperfect in so many ways, I am still a work in progress and can strive to do better. If you are paying attention to the world around you, there are lessons around every corner. Life should be about gaining perspective and making a positive difference whenever you can.
The holiday season is a suitable time to be reflective. Whether or not you are a person of faith and appreciate the spiritual context, you still get to spend quality time with family and friends and enjoy the blessings of giving and receiving love. It marks the end of a year and the promise of a new beginning. We can be hopeful and optimistic about our future while also appreciating and being nostalgic about our past.
Life is built one day at a time. We live from moment to moment. As you stitch together the moments of your day keep this in mind. I’m not saying this to put pressure on you, but to alleviate it. There are few things more stressful than trying to make up for lost time and/or missed opportunities. We don’t control how much time we have; however, we have absolute control over how we spend it. Approach each day like it matters because it does!
Related articles
- Both Time and Relationships Are Finite (capacity-building.com)
- Seeing the Light (notthedestinationbut.wordpress.com)
- One Day at a Time (dawnmarie4.wordpress.com)
- Finite and Infinite (hilitehead.com)
- Intimations of Mortality (the-unmutual.blogspot.com)
- Tomorrow Can Wait (recoveryalongroute66.com)
- A Song in Your Heart (aleafinspringtime.wordpress.com)