As often as possible, I try to ask myself “were the past 24 hours worth trading a day of your life for?” That’s a big price to pay. Time you can never get back. You don’t even know how much you have left in the bank each time you pay up!
When considering the question on surface value, it’s easy to say that every “bad” day wasn’t worth it…they sucked, they were painful, they were boring. Thinking about it deeper, though, those days really can be worth your time, if only to give you more perspective for enjoying the “good” days. What’s actually worse, I believe, is sacrificing a day of your life by choosing to not exist in it. I’m not talking about spending a day “wasting time” with loved ones or even a favorite book, as sometimes those are really the best things we can trade time for. What I’m talking about is the decision to not participate in your own life…it’s always your choice, but you will never get back that time.
For the high price we pay, it seems that only two things are absolutely necessary to make a day worth the trade. The first is hope. Hope, unlike “wishing,” is an active process. Hope is believing in change, but not focusing on the things we don’t have the power to change. Hope is looking forward to the future through the lens of the present moment. Hope is knowing that a better ending can be reached, even when you can’t see the whole path. The second is the refusal to be a victim. Life will not get better if you don’t give it a fighting chance. No matter how safe and tempting hiding from the world seems, whether to cry all day or just feel nothing, don’t become a victim of your life. Lace up your running shoes, walk the dog, ride a bike, sit on a rock and watch the clouds, watch others people and be inspired. Get up. I don’t guarantee that it will make your situation better (were running and fresh air the answer to all life’s problems, I’d be set for the rest of my life!), but I can guarantee that it will never get better if you don’t choose to participate.
As far as I can tell, that’s it. Have hope. Don’t be a victim. Those two things are enough to make every day worth the most valuable bargain we will ever make. Over time, those worthwhile days become worthwhile years, which become a worthwhile life.
No comments:
Post a Comment