Today is not a normal day because your life, as you know it, could change at the drop of a hat. Even just surviving today is dependent on so many different things. Sometimes I just think about how my heart is beating an average of 55 beats per minute to give blood-rich oxygen and nutrients to the rest of my body and that it could stop at any time. The reality is, you could not finish reading this. It’s kind of depressing, but true. Something could happen today that would completely alter your life and you would have no control over it. As I get further into my life, experiencing some disasters and some triumphs, I realize how this fragile life was meant to be lived so deliberately in every unpromised moment.
When we think of life this way, doesn’t it feel foolish to treat any day like a normal day? When see how vulnerable our lives are to disaster, doesn’t it seem petty the things we get upset over? I can’t count how many times I’ve let a bad hair day ruin my mood or how many times I’ve lost sleep over an argument I had with someone. We hear the phrase “life is too short” so often that it becomes cliché, but it’s true: Life is, without a doubt, entirely too short.
So often I see people live lives that make entirely no sense. They live every day as if it were just another day. They collect things that they think will make them happy. They find activities to “fill” and “pass” time. They take no responsibility for the time and space they occupy. Sometimes I am this person, and sometimes you are too. We get caught up in life, instead of appreciating it.
Do you ever just look around you and think about how awesome the world is? You should. Think about how many blades of grass are in your front yard. Millions and millions—that’s crazy! Think about how stunning a sunset over the mountains is or how calming the sound of a crashing wave is. This exquisite world is here right in front of us and some days we don’t even acknowledge it.
Think about the person that you love the most in your life. Do they feel that every day? Love is so insane to think about. It’s overwhelming sense of joy for another person. Why do we push that away sometimes? There are so many people in my life that mean so much to me, but some days I put
It’s the moments that I take a step back and look at life this way that really make me think about my purpose here on Earth. With a life that is so fragile, my purpose is to live every moment on purpose. To live every day as if it were not a “normal day.” I love this quote by Maya Angelo where she says: “What is a fear of living? It's being preeminently afraid of dying. It is not doing what you came here to do, out of timidity and spinelessness. The antidote is to take full responsibility for yourself—for the time you take up and the space you occupy. If you don't know what you're here to do, then just do some good.” When I think of some of the worries and tasks that seem to fill up my time, I realize how wasteful I am of the short amount of time I have.
I was given the opportunity over this past spring break to go on a service trip to Nicaragua. Before going, I worried about finances—if I would have enough money to go and if I would be able to pay my rent once there. But I decided to make it work and go. I was not prepared for the kind of eye opening poverty I saw, but it changed me anyways. I've lived 21 years on this planet and gave little consideration to the ones I shared it with. It made me aware of how small I am. I worried about paying my rent while some worry each day if they will have something to eat. I realized how spineless and timid my approach to life had been.
I don’t want to spend my life tip-toeing around my uncertainties, afraid of what might happen. I just want to pick myself up and live this crazy unpredictable life. A life that makes sense is looking at death and the uncertainties in life, mindful you have little control over them and being purposeful in every moment. The best way to live is being aware that you are going to die. In a society where we don’t like to talk about death, it’s no wonder so many people live like it’s never coming. I like to ask myself, “If my life were to end today would people see the direction I was going in? Would anyone be able to tell what my purpose was?”
There is so much in this world to take in, to see, to feel, and to do. This life we are given has the potential to be incredible, but it's also incredibly fragile. It takes one thing, one moment, to change this life that we take for granted. Life is too short to act like we have an eternity. It's too delicate not to appreciate it now.
Nothing about today is normal. So, take in all that this world has to offer, authentically love those around you, and do some good.
