Remind yourself every day that time is the one thing you can never get back. We think we have all the time in the world, but we don’t. Time is fleeting. If I don’t mindfully concentrate on this each day, I find myself letting time pass by without appreciating this precious gift. I go through the motions without living each moment to the fullest. I know that tomorrow a new day will begin and I’ll have more time. But, I don’t. Every new day represents the loss of time. The seconds continue to tick, the clock never stops. Each second that passes, the older I become and the less time I have in this world. What do I want to accomplish with my time? What do I want to be or become? What do I want to see and do? What do I want to never regret? Who do I want to pass my time with? Who do I want to love? How do I want to be remembered? Don’t forget to ask yourself these important questions as you live out your time today. Make a plan on how to achieve your dreams before it’s too late and your time has run out.
Living in Italy for the past 6 years has taught me many things, but the most important lesson I’ve learned from living abroad is: the importance of family and friends. Throughout my life I had been surrounded by family and friends and enjoyed both their company and love, as well as their support when I needed advice or a shoulder to cry on. I didn’t realize how important this network of people was until I uprooted myself and found myself alone in Italy without family, friends or even the capacity to speak the language.
Leaving was my choice. At 25 years old, I desired complete and utter isolation. I wanted to learn the Italian language, I wanted to write a novel and I wanted to prove to myself that I could survive on my own.
Looking back now, I realize how smart and stupid I was. On the first flight of my 10 month around the world trip, I watched the film Into The Wild, based on the true story of Christopher McCandless. On the first page of my travel journal I wrote down my favorite quote from the film:
“Happiness is only real, when shared.”
I continued to write, “There are so many benefits of being self-sufficient and independent as that makes you a stronger and a more confident person. But, at the end of the day, it is truly about love. Love is what life is worth living for.”
I knew the secret of happiness from the beginning of my adventure, but chose to ignore it, almost challenge it, as I strove for isolation. This lead to a period of unhappiness that I probably could have avoided had I listened to my own advice.
That’s the irony of being human, I suppose. We often know what is good for us, but we still don’t do it. We know we should eat healthy, exercise and get fresh air every day; otherwise, we will pay the consequences. Yet, even if we know there will be consequences, it is not enough. We want to try, experiment and take risks. We want to explore the unexplored.
We are hungry to discover something new, but we are thirsty for love.
Love from others allows us to taste the unknown. Love takes away any bitter taste left in our mouth as well as helps wash down any bite too big without the risk of choking. The people that we love are the water and wine of our lives.
We know that in order to maintain a relationships with these people, it requires daily work; otherwise, they will fall apart. I encourage myself as well as all of you, to be mindful today of the people that are most important in your life. Drop by their house, write them a message or give them a call. Do something to show that you are thinking of them and that they are important in your life.
Continue to risk, continue to explore, cultivate your passions and never satiate your hunger. But, do it with others.
Finding daily balance is something that I struggle with and am constantly trying to improve upon. On a great day, I eat healthy meals, exercise, drink plenty of water, finish all of my work tasks, read something enjoyable, read something educational, do something creative, connect with friends and family, do something kind for someone else and cuddle up next to Mr. Italicano. On these days, life is good and the day is full. I feel great both mentally and physically, and I spend time with the people I love.
On a bad day, I do only one or none of these things. Not necessarily because I don’t want to, but, because I don’t think I have enough time to. I find excuses why I don’t have time to exercise. I dedicate every second to work and ignore the people around me. (Poor, Mr. Italicano.) Or, I don’t fuel my body with the right sources of energy. On these days I feel drained, grumpy, and unmotivated. Go figure.
I know that in order to achieve this goal of striving for balance each day I need to simply be mindful of my actions. I need to remind myself what makes me feel good and combat that inner urge that relentlessly wants to make excuses. How about you? Do you struggle with finding daily balance, as well? Or, what are your secrets you use to achieve equilibrium throughout your day?
Remind yourself every day that time is the one thing you can never get back. We think we have all the time in the world, but we don’t. Time is fleeting. If I don’t mindfully concentrate on this each day, I find myself letting time pass by without appreciating this precious gift. I go through the motions without living each moment to the fullest. I know that tomorrow a new day will begin and I’ll have more time. But, I don’t. Every new day represents the loss of time. The seconds continue to tick, the clock never stops. Each second that passes, the older I become and the less time I have in this world. What do I want to accomplish with my time? What do I want to be or become? What do I want to see and do? What do I want to never regret? Who do I want to pass my time with? Who do I want to love? How do I want to be remembered? Don’t forget to ask yourself these important questions as you live out your time today. Make a plan on how to achieve your dreams before it’s too late and your time has run out.
