“Life is not about the breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away." - Unknown
Life is about living each and every day to its fullest, even when we're down. It’s what we forget when we get caught up in the "what ifs" and "maybes" and don't live for today—for this moment. Why is it that our culture believes we can only be happy when we're better than everyone else? Shouldn’t we be able to appreciate things as they are, and not want more? For instance, if someone is playing in a big game and they lose, they should be allowed to be upset. It shouldn’t matter how much they are getting paid for that throw or that line drive to center field, it should be about appreciating the game—appreciating life.
Similarly, the passion that drives us can either make or break us. It can make us believe we are better or worse than other people. This is where regrets, greed, and self-destruction come into play. It’s at these times we should remember that we are equals, and sometimes, that means that one must lose for another to win; it creates balance. The universe feeds off of balance in the essence of night and day, and we use it in our lives each day. But how do we stop asking for more, and appreciate the here and now?
A common saying is that “there’s always tomorrow." This is a notion I spent years remembering and reciting as I strove to become a better athlete. However, at practice one day, I realized the saying we so commonly use only sets us back. It allows us to live for tomorrow instead of today. Why do something tomorrow that we can get done today? If we want to succeed, if we want to seize the day and make it our own, we have to live for today. In other words, we have to make tomorrow into today.
Counting on tomorrow is counting our breaths. Yet there are so many reasons to count the moments we make instead. Even when we aren’t paying attention, moments pass us by that have the potential of being amazing. The sunrise that we so commonly sleep through may be the one thing that can drive us to have a great day. The moments where we’re walking and seeing what’s around us are the moments that were created just for us. Allowing the world to transform before our eyes is not a right, but a privilege. It’s our calling to nature, to others, and to our souls that can drive us to do better.
So what? you might ask. Why should I set aside my text conversation to see the world when I can see the world from my phone? Well, if that's how you want to spend today, fine. Do that, but that is a choice. That is your choice. Mine, on the other hand, is to live. Live for the now, the here, live for those who can’t and those who refuse to. But, most importantly, live for today, because it doesn’t matter how long I’m here—I’m here.
