MY PARENTS WERE RIGHT

We have all heard, so many times, that “life is short.”
But I don’t think many of us fully grasp the meaning of
that quote. It is difficult to appreciate the abruptness
of how quickly life flashes by us; especially when—
on some days—the hours just seem to drag on and
on…..and on. Furthermore, if you think about the fact
that an average lifespan is 75 to 80 years, then you
will roll your eyes and laugh at someone who says
“life is short.”
But, wait. Don’t roll your eyes. Because those
people have a point. I am 25-years-old and, hopefully,
I have many MANY more years ahead of me.
So when someone tells me I need to stop stressing
about everything and start enjoying my life because
it is “short”, I am an eye-rolling culprit. My go-to response?
“I have plenty of time to enjoy life—after I
have settled down”. But, the thing is, I (and all of you)
need to be making the most of today. I mean if my
opinion isn’t enough then just take it from Thomas
Jefferson who said “never put off till tomorrow what
you can do today.”
Not putting things off and seizing the day doesn’t
mean you have to change the world or accomplish
something big in that one day. Making the most of
your day just means doing something today, that—
in normal circumstances—you would “do later.” This
could be: finishing off that assignment, doing those
chores you’ve been putting off, making that phone
call, sending that email or visiting that person you’ve
been meaning to visit.
But those are all “good” things that you could do
today instead of tomorrow. However, if we are seizing
the day, then I believe in seizing it to the fullest. So
that means going after our vices. And don’t worry. Despite
the dictionary definition of vice, I use the word to
mean those things we like to do, but don’t, because
they may be bad for us. So if you want that chocolate
bar, go get it. If you want that ice cream, you can have
it. If you are craving it, have it, because you must be
craving it for a reason. Take me, for example. I am
doing really well on my healthy eating. I have cut out
a lot of the junk food I ate, been eating smaller portions
of the junk food I still eat and have added more
fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods to my diet.
But I have my bad days. And today, the day of writing,
I had an Italian buffet for lunch, some cake pops for a
co-workers birthday and I will be having a pizza party
in the evening. And that’s okay, because everything
in moderation.
But that, right there, is the key. Moderation. Not
only for food but for anything—good or bad. I know
that, earlier in the article, I said that if you are craving
something you should have it. But that also depends
on how much you crave it. See, I crave chocolate
24/7. But I cannot have it 24/7. You have to have
these treats in moderation, so you can appreciate
them to the fullest.
Okay, I started my tidbits in a motivational manner
and suddenly it’s become all about food. Lovely. But
the whole point of the column was to talk about how
we, as people, have this attitude of “doing this” and
“doing that” after we have settled down. I know I do.
I am almost finished with my Master’s Degree, after
which I will get my certification (something I have
already began looking into) and, eventually, a job.
There are so many things I want to do, but I keep
telling myself “I’ll do it after I get a job and have made
some more money.” But…why? What’s stopping me
from doing those things now? Why do I have to wait
until something happens? It’s not like I’m treating all
those things I want to do as rewards. I’m not saying:
I’ll join this club only after I get my degree or I’ll go on
this vacation only after I have made x amount of dollars
in my job. But, for some odd reason, I am under
some impression that I cannot enjoy my life while I
am still in a position of being unsettled.
I’m sure I am not the only one who has this outlook
on life. As I mentioned previously, I think it is within us
to keep putting things off until we are ready, financially
or otherwise, to go after what we want—whether
it be a vacation, joining a club or anything else. But,
in thinking about life and really focusing on the idea
that “life is short”, this puts things in perspective. Furthermore,
in the past year, I have had seven deaths
in the family. And many of these deaths have been
unexpected—to the point where one of the people
was laughing and talking at a party one day, and had
passed away a few days later. So if nothing else, this
really gave me a wake-up call.
We all need to appreciate the time we have been
given on this planet and not waste it. My dad always
told me that every minute I spend wasting is a minute
I will never get back. As a child I always waved it away
and treated it like one of those things parents say.
But, as an adult, I truly understand what this means.
So after reading this column go and do that one thing
you said you would do later. It could be making your
bed, paying your bills, meeting that person you made
plans with but never followed through on, getting your
groceries, baking that pie, eating that pizza…the list
goes on.
“Life is short.” So appreciate it.
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