Mastery Mondays

Forever is composed of nows.

What if we were born with the day we were going to die emblazoned on our body? If you knew how many days you had left, how would you live? Would you be braver? Would you do the things you always dreamed of doing? Would you strike a conversation with a stranger or would you cross that items of your bucket list? Or would you simply live life day to day, always working towards an unpromised future? 

If you knew when your future would end, I'm certain that you would treat each day as a gift, so why don't we do that now? Why do we, as humans, pretend that our time will not come to an end? If you knew you were dying, what would you do? If I knew how many days I had left, this is how I would live my life. 

I wouldn't care so much about what people thought of me.  My life is my life, and letting others' thoughts and opinions influence that is detrimental only to me. If living in a small town has taught me anything, it's that people are going to talk about you no matter what you are doing, so just do what makes you happy. Don't let idle gossip cripple your lifestyle. 

I would travel to places I'd always dreamed of seeing.  I always catch myself saying that I'll go to London, Athens, Venice, and even Disney World one day as if the future is promised to me. But it's not. See the places you want to see as soon as you can. Take chances, go on spontaneous road trips, travel.  Experience. See the world and discover, along the way, who you are and what you love. 

I would face my fears.  I must admit that my fears keep me from trying many new things. So, why not force myself to face them? Perhaps, in the bravery of doing so, I would learn more about myself and even become less afraid. I wouldn't to die with my fears still having their hold on me, and I doubt you would want to either. So push yourself. Even if you become a sobbing mess in the process, you will become stronger and show yourself that you can do anything.

I would complete my bucket list.  Why should I wait to complete it when I can start crossing off items now? There are so many aspects of life I want to experience, and I don't want to die leaving some unchecked. So, rather than just wait around for opportunities to complete them I would make some. There's no time like the present. 

I would cherish each moment I spent with family and friends.  The time I spent with family and friends would be filled with 'I love you's and many, many hugs. I would laugh, cry, and make incredible memories. Don't wait for something to happen to make you want to spend more time with your family--make the time now and you will never regret it. 

I wouldn't waste time on things that don't matter.  Does your Twitter or Instagram feed really matter at the end of the day? Put your phone aside, turn your netflix off, and spend time doing something that is actually meaningful to you. You won't remember what that random person posted on instagram two days from now but you will remember the memories you make many, many years down the road. 

I would chase my dreams.  I've always dreamed of writing a novel and travelling to exotic places, so should I wait for that chance to come? There's no time like now for me to go chase after my wildest dreams and to see where they take me. Who knows who I'll become along the way and what other crazy dreams I'll decide to follow. 

I would leave my mark.  I have always wanted to change the world, even just the slightest bit. In doing so, I would become, in a small way, immortalized. My mark on this world would live far longer than I ever could. To change the world, you must be willing to do the work and carve that change into the world. Don't wait around for others to do the work for you. Even the smallest ripple you make in this world will have far-reaching ramifications that can change everything. 

So maybe instead of just existing why don't we all just live as if today could be your last day alive. You knew never know when your time will end, so stop wasting it. If everyone lived like they were dying, imagine what our world would look like. 

Life's Big Questions

If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what’s one thing you would do today?