One of the saddest things to hear about after a person dying, is hearing their family talking about how they came across this beautiful dinner set/cashmere sweater/bottle of expensive wine that was never ever used, because it was being saved for a ‘special occasion’ that never came around.
None of us are going to be here forever, and some of us will go before we think we will – but this post isn’t about being sad. It’s about seizing the moment, doing today what you have been putting off until some future tomorrow, and taking advantage of everything you have now. Yes, that bottle of wine cost you $75, but that doesn’t mean it’s too good to drink – that’s what it’s there for! Open it on your next birthday, or even this Friday, because life is worth celebrating every day. Burn those beautiful candles you were given three years ago – yes, they may look pretty sitting there collecting dust, but that’s not their purpose. Their warm glow will make you happy, and you can always buy more candles – they are not a finite resource.
A friend of mine died this year – Anne had been battling cancer for a few years and, only in her mid-20′s, she was able to provide infinite wisdom to those around her about not getting caught up on things that don’t really matter. Yes, your credit card is maxed out, but you are still earning an income and you will pay it off in time – it’s only money. Yes, that car in front of you is driving annoyingly slowly, but is it worth getting worked up about? Traveling 10kmph slower than you want to isn’t going to change your arrival time that significantly when you factor in the traffic lights and every other traffic condition that exists between where you are now and your destination. Don’t sweat the small stuff. If it’s not going to still be worrying you in a week’s time, it’s not worth worrying about now.
Ric Elias was on the plane that crashed into the Hudson River in NYC in 2009. He thought he was going to die, and as the plane came down, three things occurred to him. If you have five minutes, have a look at his talk on TED (I would have embedded this, but I was having technical issues!).
I think it’s important that we all learn from people like my friend Anne, and people like Ric, and we take advantage of everything we have today – live life to the fullest at every opportunity and use the good china now, because really, what are you waiting for?
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