“What day is it?"
"It's today," squeaked Piglet.
"My favorite day," said Pooh.
“Planning the future and strategically executing it” is what I was always taught. Be it relationships, education, decisions, moments, anything; planning it out is necessary. It helps you on a long term basis, and you keep track on where are how you’re going. I think this is what we all are taught. But is it really true? What if this ‘future’ we depend on so blindly, the ‘future’ we think is certain, does not exist? What if this is it? What if this word, this sentence, this laughter, the sorrow, this very moment is all you’re going to have? What if today is the oldest you’ve ever been, and the youngest you’ll ever be again?
If you were to perish the next second, is this the life you are truly happy to have lived?
Let me guess? No. Not just you and I, but 95% of the people would say no. And how do I know this? I don’t actually. But I am one of you people, and we all belong here. I can merely guess and hope that I am not in this- alone.
‘Live like every day is your last’, ‘You Only Live Once (YOLO)’, ‘Live like there’s no tomorrow’, how often do we toss these sentences around? As a joke maybe! Or maybe we’re just trying to be cool! How many of us actually wake up every morning thinking “I’m not going to be there tomorrow. Let me live today like it’s the last!” None of us! We have faith; we have hope that no matter what happens, it won’t be us to lose out on a moment. That it will come back to us some other day, and life will give us a lot of chances to live these moments. But if you were to die the next moment, think about it, what would be the one thing you’d want to do, and have you done it already? Sadly, the answer is no; for me, for you and for everyone else.
We might have the slightest crush on someone, we might love our dog too much, we might actually hate something to the extent of destroying it and we might dislike a person to the extent of scarring them for life. We might love a pet of ours whom we don’t get to spend time with. We might love to sing but we’re too scared to do it. We might want to pursue something but we’re too scared of being judged. But so what? They are going to judge you anyway, but you are not going to get this moment again. Your crush might not walk past you again. So what if he/she doesn’t like you back? At least you will be making their day! Does she like you back? Lean in, kiss her already! You might have never told your sibling how much you care for them, but show it to them once. Who knows, if you aren’t here tomorrow, maybe they’ll have a memory to smile about. Ever promised to catch up with someone? Promised to meet them? Then do it! Your parents; tell them you love them! Go and hug your mom right now, go and tell your dad that you’re proud to be his kid. Do you live away from home like I do? Then call them!
Go to the nearest beach, or any place you love, some place you’ve always wanted to go to and leave your cameras aside. You have enough pictures. But do you have enough memories? Sit, breathe in, look around, live the moment. Close your eyes, and make that moment stay. Your pictures are for the world to see, but memories? Memories are personal. You can share your experiences with people, but the memories stay in our heart, in our own versions. Both of them are important. Experience will help you develop skills but memories; those are the ones that keep the fuel burning inside you, urging you never to stop. Maybe we’ll never get to go to another city, another country, but so what? Know that park near your home where ‘stupid kids’ make noise and play the whole day? Yeah, you used to be one of them, and that used to be your heaven! Go there, take your friends along. Want to go bungee jumping? Do it! Want to go to a strip club? Go there already! Want to get drunk? Want to do something crazy? Do it! (By that, I do not mean overdose on heroin and die) Want to talk about something? Talk now, talk about everything! Let your emotions and feelings out! Be kind, be compassionate, be fun, be truthful, be what you want to be because you might not wake up to be that tomorrow. Want to eat that ice cream so bad but you’re too scared that you might gain some weight? Just shut up already and eat it.
Whenever someone told me to live in the moment and accept it as it came, I always told them that I was not that person. That I would give everything some time, and when it’s the right time, it would seem like the right thing to do. But I didn’t realize how wrong I was. Yes, I agree that certain things need a plan or you might just end up nowhere. But I lost few people, few moments and few experiences that I let go of, and I know I’m never getting them again, and it took so much to make me realize that having plans in life is one thing. Making life a plan, now that’s another thing, and believe me, it’s not worth it. In the end, we only regret the chances we never took. What wouldn’t I give to get another chance to be able to do things, say things; make things count? And as harsh as it sounds, who knows if your loved ones are going to be here tomorrow? Who knows if you are going to be here for them? Seizing each moment in life allows us to prolong its value and make it more meaningful. Rather than seeking quantity of time, when we live in the moment we enjoy and savor every minute. You have to believe that this moment will change your life, and you have to live it! Stop waiting for the right moment, and make this count. Go ahead and commit the perfect mistake.
What’s gone is the past, what’s coming is the future. This moment is a gift, and that is why it is called a present.
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