Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Life
*"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."
*"Live every day like it's your last...because one of these days it will be."
*"One day your whole life will flash before your eyes; make it worth watching."
These three quotes have always been three of my favorites in terms of 'Life'. They have somewhat consumed my mind lately as I have spent much of the past week contemplating these three short, simple phrases.
My obsessive thoughts were triggered by something that recently happened to my very best friend. Her co-worker and friend, a healthy, young 28 year old girl with a special talent in photography...had a sudden brain aneurysm and lost her life shortly thereafter. It was that quick. She had left work in a particularly positive and happy mood...and within hours she was gone. Boom.
Although I did not know her personally, the thought twisted my stomach into knots and sent my brain into a violent spin. I began to think about my friends and my family...I tried to stop these thoughts as they began to terrify and upset me. I then realized that I can not try to ignore those emotions. Rather, I need to make an attempt to focus more often and more consistently on what is truly important in my life...what truly matters. If someone close to me had a sudden brain aneurysm last week...would I have any regrets about what I had said or done...or hadn't said or done in our last encounter?
It can be so simple as an "I love you" on my way out the door...or trying to overpower the nagging voice in my head that may be "too tired" to return that phone call from a friend tonight... or from simply sharing a smile the countless people I encounter daily. It can be so simple as refusing to leave the house for the day immediately after a typical sibling argument in which things are said that are not truly meant.
What is truly important to me? How do I show that? Would I be able to look back at my last experience with each of my loved ones and be content with my final actions or words with that person?
Like the beginning three quotes, we must live for today. That is all we are promised...this moment. Although it may sound cliche...it is the truth. We can not change the past and we are not guaranteed the future...so why is it that we spend so much time obsessing over both of them? I vow to myself today, to concentrate on focusing my energy on the present moment and on the people who matter in that present moment. I am not guaranteed my life or anyone else's tomorrow...I will think of that next time I want to spit out words that I can not take back...I will think of that next time I am about to leave the house before telling my family "I love you" because they are upstairs and "I'm already half way out the door...Ill just tell them tonight."
I am so thankful for my amazing friends and family and have realized that you can never tell someone that you love them/are thankful for them too much. We are only promised this moment, and I plan to live it.
*"Live every day like it's your last...because one of these days it will be."
*"One day your whole life will flash before your eyes; make it worth watching."
These three quotes have always been three of my favorites in terms of 'Life'. They have somewhat consumed my mind lately as I have spent much of the past week contemplating these three short, simple phrases.
My obsessive thoughts were triggered by something that recently happened to my very best friend. Her co-worker and friend, a healthy, young 28 year old girl with a special talent in photography...had a sudden brain aneurysm and lost her life shortly thereafter. It was that quick. She had left work in a particularly positive and happy mood...and within hours she was gone. Boom.
Although I did not know her personally, the thought twisted my stomach into knots and sent my brain into a violent spin. I began to think about my friends and my family...I tried to stop these thoughts as they began to terrify and upset me. I then realized that I can not try to ignore those emotions. Rather, I need to make an attempt to focus more often and more consistently on what is truly important in my life...what truly matters. If someone close to me had a sudden brain aneurysm last week...would I have any regrets about what I had said or done...or hadn't said or done in our last encounter?
It can be so simple as an "I love you" on my way out the door...or trying to overpower the nagging voice in my head that may be "too tired" to return that phone call from a friend tonight... or from simply sharing a smile the countless people I encounter daily. It can be so simple as refusing to leave the house for the day immediately after a typical sibling argument in which things are said that are not truly meant.
What is truly important to me? How do I show that? Would I be able to look back at my last experience with each of my loved ones and be content with my final actions or words with that person?
Like the beginning three quotes, we must live for today. That is all we are promised...this moment. Although it may sound cliche...it is the truth. We can not change the past and we are not guaranteed the future...so why is it that we spend so much time obsessing over both of them? I vow to myself today, to concentrate on focusing my energy on the present moment and on the people who matter in that present moment. I am not guaranteed my life or anyone else's tomorrow...I will think of that next time I want to spit out words that I can not take back...I will think of that next time I am about to leave the house before telling my family "I love you" because they are upstairs and "I'm already half way out the door...Ill just tell them tonight."
I am so thankful for my amazing friends and family and have realized that you can never tell someone that you love them/are thankful for them too much. We are only promised this moment, and I plan to live it.
# posted by JennAdelia @ 1:02 PM 
