Living Life Fully

Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed...
--Wayne Dyer

This day could be my last. I remind myself of that fact every day, not because I'm morbid or because I have a death wish, but because I want to keep in mind that's life too short for me to do things like carry around resentment or anger or other bad feelings. And if I do die this afternoon, I want to be able to tell myself that I at least did all I could to reach my goals and dreams, even if they weren't actually realized.


If I were to act as if life were a rehearsal, all of my steps would be tentative--for I'd know that the real performance, opening night, wouldn't be coming for a while. I'd know that I could make a mistake and then spend some time working on the area where I made the mistake before the real thing came along.


The fact is, though, that my mistakes of today can definitely hurt other people. I can and will make mistakes, but if I live from my conscience and from my heart, if I'm honest and loving, I'll make very few mistakes--and those that I make won't be nearly as drastic if they were coming from a different place.


If I knew that today were my last day, I would want to make amends with anyone that I needed to make amends with. I'd be kind and courteous and loving because I'd want people's last thoughts of me to be positive. I'd want them to remember my loving side, not my selfish side.


This could be my last day.

Am I treating the people in my life as if it were that day? Why not?

You don't get to choose how you're going to die, or when.


You can only decide how you're going to live.

Now!
--Joan Baez

~ Living Life Fully ~