Life..

...don't take it for granted.

This is my first blog post, and despite me having written blogs on Word and saved them for this day, I feel like there is no better way to start off a blog than to speak from the heart.

Life is what you make of it.  We grew up being taught that we can do, and be, anything we want in life.  The sky is the limit.  For me...I lost that inspiration somewhere along my path of life.  I don't know when it was exactly, but I lost it.  My career dreams of what I wanted to be when I grew up slowly dwindled down and instead of me telling myself I can do it, I started to think that there were just certain things that I couldn't accomplish in life.  It hurts me to think about that today.  I'm a very optimistic person,  I'm usually the one that tells people they can do anything in life, they can keep climbing the corporate ladder, they can keep achieving more in life... why didn't I listen to myself?

I'm not saying I'm hating where I'm at right now.  I have a family that would do anything for me.  Friends that would drop everything they're doing to come and give me a hug, or go for a beer because of a rough day I had.  I currently have a job, and despite it not being the most interesting job, it pays well and has the potential to become something big.  I have my health (though I still need to work on it). 

 I fully believe that everything that has happened in the past, happened for a reason and has brought us to where we are today, brought us the friends and opportunities we have.  Do I have regrets? You bet I do.  I think everyone has, or will have, regrets.  No one is perfect in life, that's what makes us all unique.  I'd hate to see a world where everyone is perfect. 

All I'm saying is that if I kept telling myself what I keep telling my friends, would I be where I am today?

What if I pursued law school?  med school? 

What if I enlisted in the air force to become a pilot?


Would I still have the amazing friends I do now?

I've told myself that I don't want to live my life questioning myself "what if" all the time.  It's not the way to live life.  You can question yourself that a million times over, but in the end it's not changing a thing.  You're still where you are today because of the choices/decisions you've made prior. 

Life, in retrospect, is short.  Sure 80 years (average for Canada) sounds like a long time. But is it?  Think about it.  In the big scheme of things, it's not long at all. 

I don't think people these days live life to the fullest, and don't appreciate what they have.  It's scary when you think about the future, who knows what's in store for us in the future?  I'm not saying to go out and climb Everest, I'm saying to appreciate the finer things in life.

Family.
Friends.
Health.
Love.

When is the last time you hugged your mom? Told her that you love her and thank her for always being there for you while you grew up.

When is the last time you thanked your dad for showing you how to be a man?  How to build things with your hands, how to shave, how to survive.

Do you thank your friends for being in your life?  For giving you memories that you'll remember forever?

The past is the past.  What happened in your past happened for a reason, and unfortunately, it cannot be changed.  The future is unknown, tomorrow I could be hit by a falling satellite (that joke is 2 weeks too late!), or I could win the lottery.  We can't live our life dreaming of our perfect future. We have to live for today, and work towards our dreams.

Appreciate life and make each day better than yesterday.


"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." - Buddha