“You get one life. It goes on. Until it doesn’t.” – anonymous

So.

This post isn’t going to be about ‘making the most of each moment’ or taking chances or ‘making memories’ or any of that crap (of which I have written about before).

This is just about life.  Yours.  Mine.  Anyone’s.

We get one (unless you believe in reincarnation but let’s focus on what you know you have right now).

I cannot think of anyone who doesn’t want to live their life to the fullest.

So. The big question is why do so few of us actually do so?

It almost seems like standard operating loop to live our life day after day just to survive.

Wake up.

Go to work.

Deal with people (the annoying ones as well as the ones who we laugh with).

Go home and do the tasks that “need to be done.”

Go to sleep.

(and then the doom loop gets rewound)

Think about it. The truth is that it is quite easy to wind up missing your life in what seems like a 24/7 world.

But.

You can cut the loop. Anyone can. You gotta think attitude.

Because, yes, I do believe it is all about you & your attitude with life (rather than life dictating your actions or ‘how full is full’).

And if I am right … than ‘fullest’ is really about choices.

And if I am right that is reality, well, its about time we realized life is about making choices.

Not good ones or bad ones. Just making them.

The alternative?  Not making them (ok … that was obvious).

The outcome of that ‘not making them’ alternative?

Staying in the miserable job (one that makes you miserable).

Living in an unhealthy life.

Gosh.  It can even just be doing what you are currently doing … and doing it over and over.

I won’t suggest that this is staying in a rut. It may simply be a smooth uneventful path. Minimal bumps on the road.  So smooth it just seems to slip by.

Isn’t uneventful, or not bumpy, good?  Hmmmmmmmmm. The truth? Nope.

It may feel that it should be when you look at the stressful times and the difficult times, but (if we are honest) the stress and struggles are made mostly because we, you, me, anyone did nothing.

And life did something at the same time.

A generalization?  Sure. We can all find and gladly point out exceptions to what I just wrote.

My advice (at the moment)? Ignore those exceptions.  Or put them off to the side.  Look at what’s left. And be honest.

And take note of how many of those struggles were of your own fault. Not because you did something. But rather because you DIDN’T do something.

We have one life.

One life to do.

One life to do what you want to do.

And when it ends, whenever that may be, no matter how short or how long, it is done. No more doing.

It is very very true that life is never too short or too long (hence the reason I typically dislike “life is short”).

It is what it is.

And life value, how it is ultimately measured, is not by time but rather what you do with that time.

With all that said then why does it seem that despite a great job, nice clothes and some valued (not necessarily valuable but valued nonetheless) possessions many people are still miserable and unhappy with their life?

Well. I tend to believe underlying unhappiness remains because we have lost sight of life and the real choices and the truth that life is about what you do (not what you have to show for what you have done).

And maybe because we forget that truth it seems like we all spend a boatload of our time living our lives running after material things or just completing tasks or getting medals (to show proof).

And all that running is aimed at acquiring fame, power and prestige in this world (maybe another way to say it is that we run  around seeking ‘acknowledgement’ rather than self enlightenment) because we believe within one, or all, of those things lies happiness.

Look. I am not saying material possessions or prizes/medals are not important (because they can play an important role in self esteem) but what I am trying to say is that maybe people are too mindful of these things and forget to live their life to its fullest.

Living life to the fullest is a choice.

It is a lifestyle choice.

It is a choice you make by enabling the changes in your life.

It is a choice to not be discouraged.

It is a choice to not be afraid of making mistakes.

It is a choice to leave the seemingly comfortable.

It is a choice to seek some ‘unknown’ in your life.

It is a choice to maintain the search for your purpose in life.

Oh.

Lastly. Life is about making the choice to believe in yourself.

Ok. let me clear on that last choice.

I do not believe that by simply believing in yourself that ‘anything is possible.’ Cause, well, you never know.

What I do know is that anything could possibly happen if you give yourself a chance and believe in yourself.

You have no chance if you don’t make the choice.

You have no chance if you don’t believe in yourself.

Sure. Life is chockfull of a shitload of setbacks (many of which are self inflicted – self doubt, self criticism and past failures).

However difficult, annoying and hard our journey towards our purpose and goals, we always need to remember one very simple thing.

We have but one life.

No do overs.

And it only goes on until it doesn’t.

And you have a choice on what you want to do with it before it is over.

In the end? You get just one life.

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Written by Bruce