Shortness of Life

We spend our life pretending that we will live forever. Death is something that we assume is always years away. We know we are all going to die eventually, but we always ignore this fact. When a loved one dies, it hits us hard and we regret the many things that we wanted to do with them or for them. We regret not having spent quality time with them and not having been in touch with them frequently because we were “busy”. We remember the fight we had eons ago and wished we had apologized or didn’t make a big deal out of the conflict. We regret not expressing our love.

Life isn’t predictable. Situations change. We postpone many small things to be done later, but who knows whether a suitable situation will arise later? When it comes to positive feelings, it is always better to express them right away. Live to express, not to impress. Do what you want to do and not what others expect you to do. Get suggestions from others, but don’t let others decide for you. As long as you don’t hurt anyone, tread the road that you want to take; it doesn’t matter if it is less traveled.

Make time for people who matter. Make time for activities that you are passionate about. Make time for yourself every day, no matter how busy you are. Appreciate the little things in life. Be grateful for even the minuscule things that are in your favor. Give back to others. Perform random acts of kindness. Be a harbinger of happiness and love. If you like something that someone does, let them know that you appreciate it, even if it is something inconspicuous. Cheer people on for their efforts and congratulate them on their small successes. Be good and do good.

Let go of negative feelings. Anger, Sadness, Anxiety, etc., should not be ignored, but they need not be dumped on others. Acknowledge your negative emotion, find out the root cause and find a healthy way to deal with it. Stay away from toxic people. As much as you want to be polite to bitter people, if you feel that they are dragging you down by polluting your system, it is alright to keep a distance from them. At the same time, if you think that someone deserves a second chance, forgive them. If you feel guilt or regret, forgive yourself for what happened and identify how not to repeat it. Most importantly, be honest with yourself.

Don’t compare yourself with others, because everyone has a different path in life. Stop judging people. You don’t know what they have gone through. Knowing a little bit about them and speculating is like reading a single page out of a book and saying you know the whole story. Everyone has a reason to be the way they are. Instead of complaining, try to understand them. If you think that they are in the wrong, either try to confront them or ignore/forgive their doings. There is no use in criticizing, whining, gossiping or slandering.

Remember that money is not happiness. One may live in a penthouse, get a six-digit monthly salary, own luxurious commodities, yet still be unhappy. Happiness is in the small things. In being aware of and appreciating small positive things, you can be happy despite your money troubles. More than earning money, it is important to earn people.

Are you living for your resume or your eulogy? Are you becoming cutthroat to get on top of the corporate ladder? Or are you letting people walk all over you because you want to be kind to everyone? Are you buying things you don’t need/like or bragging about yourself to impress others? Whatever your general approach to life may be, stop and think if you would behave the same way if it was your last day on Earth.

There is no one definite way to lead a perfect life. Everyone’s needs, wants, aspirations, interests, preferences, dreams, personalities, etc., are different. Don’t let others dictate how to live your life, instead introspect on how you want to lead your life. Rather than living to prove yourself to others, experience life. Instead of seeking other’s love and approval, love yourself.

Some people treat others with the utmost kindness, yet are highly critical of themselves. They disregard their own needs and are quite mean to themselves, yet they hope to make a positive impact on other people’s lives. It is important to remember that only when you love yourself, can you spread that love outwards and make others happy too. For only when someone holds light within, can they shine it on others. So treasure yourself, be nice to others and remember to live because life is short.