I was thinking: Do we really appreciate being alive? We try so hard to stay alive, but do we really enjoy and make the most of the time we have?
I wonder if we don’t just get caught up in our day-to-day activities and, as the saying goes, forget to “stop and smell the roses.” Then a life-threatening illness comes along, forcing us to think our life might end. And then what do we do? Generally, we spend our time in doctors’ offices, treatment centers, and finally in bed.
I see this way of our life ending as sad and tragic. We could be using the time we have. We could be doing those things, exploring those ideas, having those conversations that we have put off for when we have more time. Then time runs out.
I’m issuing a wake-up call to us all. Take a moment, right now, and look at your life. What are you doing with it? Are you happy? Are you satisfied?
What would you rather be doing? Why aren’t you? What is stopping you?
If you don’t like the answers you are giving yourself, what can you do to change your situation?
This is your life. It is a gift. How are you living it?
Something more... about making the most out of living
How we live matters just as much as how we die. In my book The Final Act of Living, I share what my years working with the dying have taught me about life, dying, and the time we have.
