9:30 am March 6. I wake up slight pain beginning to generate in my head. The inevitable hangover is coming. I know I’m in for a long terrible day. One full of pain and nausea. But I realize one thing. I’m alive.
Not in a wow I drank a ton and I’m surprised I’m alive kind of thought. But rather an “I’m alive, I’m blessed” thought. Many didn’t see this day, some aren’t going to see the end. But yet I may be in a post alcohol hell, I am here. Life is something that we all take for granted. We expect to wake up. We expect tomorrow. What a flaw that is. You see there is no exact date as to when any of us leave. The matter in which our demise befalls us could be predicted. That however isn’t a guarantee either. We all have an expiration date and every second we get closer to it.
It’s about the moment. The gift of now. We are only here for an undisclosed amount of time so why not add some value to it with the people in your life. We often lose track of that as we are more preoccupied with what will happen. We often do not appreciate the present until it becomes our past. Those moments get reminisced on when it is too late. We don’t express how we feel about the loved ones until they are no longer with us. Its because we expect them to be with us. It’s why we don’t keep in contact or interact with them on a daily basis. “I’ll call them later. One day we will have to hang out.”
And it’s only going to get worse. It’s a society where the gauge of how social you are is measured by many post you have on social media. No real memories are made from Facebook posts. No person is going to stand at your funeral and talk about a Twitter post you had years ago. But they will remember the moments that they had with you. Your smile, your laugh, your stories. It’s those things that really add value to life. There is nothing better than having that story that brings a smile to everyone’s face when they hear it. Give your loved ones those moments. Share those moments with them as well. There is really nothing better than seeing family all under one roof. And often times it is at the worst of times. And when it does happen you hear, “it’s so good to see all of you, it’s just terrible it had to be under these circumstances. ” The solution is do it regularly. We shouldn’t wait until the sad moments to get together and show love. Saying “happy birthday” on Facebook doesn’t count though.
This isn’t an attack on social media but rather it’s a plea to make real memories and create genuine moments if you have that chance.
Enjoy life, the company that you keep. Appreciate them. Appreciate life. Do what you enjoy. Take risks. Try new things. Travel. Expand your boundaries. Always keep learning. Find something to live for. Find people you truly care about. Celebrate life. Spend time with them. Tell them how much you appreciate them. Now.
If going out for drinks with close friends or family is your way of doing it then do just that. And if you wake up the next morning with a terrible hangover, remember… You woke up. You’re alive.
CULTIVATED INFLUENCE 