Sometimes I like to bask in the simple reminders that we are not infinite; and nothing and no one says we are promised a tomorrow. It’s easy to expect that we will have a tomorrow because, well, we always have. But then something tragic happens, and a family member or a friend dies and we get offended that they had to be taken so suddenly. Honestly, we aren’t even promised the next minute, let alone the next hour. But we spend our minutes daydreaming about our future or wishing current problems would cease to exist. That’s real. This is all very valid, and we are all guilty of it. It isn’t our fault, though. We live in a world that’s constantly all about the next thing. So how can anyone possibly be concerned about what is in front of them if they are too eager to receive what’s coming next? Life is so simply complex. Spend a day on the outside. Just take in everything going on around you and then evaluate how important this boy or girl is that you want to be with and how much it really matters if you are late to class. Or even how significant it is to hang out with the same people every day and just sit around idly. You probably will realize it’s not. This is deep, especially if you are hearing it for the first time. If you aren’t, it means you have left some space for you to grow. Whether that space can be an inch or a mile, you put it there. I say stop the daydreaming and assess the now. When I feel my mind drifting off, I just simply bring it back in. Focusing on my physical, mental and emotional state in the moment. Am I stressed, unrested, sad, scared, weak, happy, excited? I get in tune with my spirit and myself, then assess what is going on around me right now. Are there people around? Is it loud? Is it quiet? Am I in a place where I feel comfortable? What thoughts are enveloping my mind today? Is there something I need to do? Is there someone that is just getting on my nerves? Am I waiting for my big plans tonight? Our own thoughts can be more distracting than the things around us. Try to mellow your mind. Rid yourself of any unloving thoughts of people and any fantasy thoughts. Stop looking so far into the future that you temporarily forget you aren’t even there yet. I strive to walk through life like it’s my last day on earth. I will begin to notice that the things I thought were so important, such as finding a spouse, or having good grades, and making a lot of money, is just temporary and insignificant. If today were my last day, I would hope I would spend it with people I love and can be yourself with. I hope I do the thing that scares me. I hope I think of money as just paper. And I hope I can be content with knowing that having a husband is a gift, not a right. So if we aren’t going to be here tomorrow, why would any of this stuff matter? Exactly, it honestly truly doesn’t.
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