What If Life Told Us Our Expiration Date?
What would you do?… Do it now anyway.
It’s that time of the year, no matter who you are, the end of the year inspires us to throw out, clean up and pack up.
It’s not necessarily linked to the Yuletide season, but somehow by November, there is the desire to tidy up even more. Sometimes even on Christmas day I work, tidying up, once the new year meets all in place.
As I looked at some things that I had stored away in my pantry, and checked the expiration date to determine whether to remove, I couldn’t help but think how we all come labelled with an expiration date.
While food stuff has the date on it so you know, in many instances we don’t know from birth when it will come, but one thing is certain it will eventually come!
How would you live, if you know your expiration date?
Will you put off your dreams and goals for a more convenient time?
Will you wait for a convenient time for the vacation?
Will you wait for an appropriate time to forgive?
Will you wait until your children are older to teach about life — the good, bad and indifferent?
There is a recommended time to discard food stuff, yet we can’t discard ourself at our own choosing or doing….or at least hopefully not ..
What then will you do if you know your expiration date? What should you do?
Live to the fullest — Life waits on no one. So live life, experience places, do things that you enjoy. It’s no guarantee that putting off for tomorrow will come.
Live, love, laugh, forgive and then some more — The persons we love, will at times hurt us.
I have seen people hold on to grudges for so many years that they no longer know why they are even angry with the person!
It may have hurt at the time but the only person it hurts holding on and reminiscing the hurt is yourself.
Unforgiveness can contribute to ill health…so let go and live…forgive an live. It’s not for anyone but for you.
Stop waiting for the right time to enjoy life — At the start of this year my best friend died. It was sudden and unexpected. What hurt the most was remembering on many occasions I would invite her to go on a trip and she would often speak of pressing work deadlines and promised she would take the trip some time in the future. Unfortunately, that will not be happening. I remember her as a very dedicated worker and employee, yet she had waited to do things that she truly enjoyed..
Work hard but play harder — In no way should you compromise on the quality of work you do, whether you work for yourself or others.
However, with the same dedication you work, it should be even more so with your self-care. Self-care is more than just going in a spa. It is committing to regular activities that helps reduce your stress. It becomes a commitment to yourself as many things creep into the space, demanding your time.
You can’t be of service to anyone if you don’t take care of yourself firstly. Carefully carve out and guard your self-care time. Commit to using that time for something each week at least, that you truly enjoy.
Be a loyal friend and seek out others also- Friendships can improve or decline our quality of life. Finding positive and affirming friends does much to improve our quality and quantity of life. Be the friend that you want to be.
Face the fears that hold you back from your best self — Fears can cause us to stay stagnated, sometimes our entire life. Fear can paralyze and just take us away from truly living. Fears are more in our mind than reality. Facing them offers us a freedom that is unrealized any other way.
Do things each day that brings joy to others and yourself — If everyday you get up and take one singular action that brings joy to others as well as yourself, life will be more fulfilling. We often think of what we can get, but as we give to others, it brings a completeness to life, like nothing else.
Appreciate your family — We often take time to care for others, but not our own family. Spending quality time with your family and cherishing the memories is what lives on.
Always be grateful — A thankful approach makes life all the more enjoyable. We are encouraged to find daily things to give thanks for. It may at times feel like there isn’t much to be thankful for, but once you are healthy it is sufficient to give thanks for.
Forget the focus on having money and just live — Money plays a role in our quality of life. I get that. Waiting for money to do anything at all you enjoy is going to lead to doing little if any at all. This in no way suggest being irresponsible with financial obligations. It does mean though that at times you have to seize and embrace opportunities and enjoy them when they come, because it may well be that tomorrow is too late.
Life doesn’t disclose our expiration date most times.
Today is all we may have…Live, enjoy life and don’t put off doing what you need to do today for tomorrow.
Tomorrows’ are not guaranteed for any of us.
