Live
all you can. It's a mistake not to.
It doesn't much matter what you do in particular,
so much as you LIVE while you're doing it. Henry
James
Are
you living all you can? If so, you are one of the few
lucky souls that either was born with an incredible
spirit - OR one of us who had to learn it the hard way.
You can learn to live life to the fullest. It takes
practice to defeat the habits that hold you back.
What
keeps most people from living each day, each moment,
to the fullest? Three things: Worry, Regret, and Fear.
Worry
is living in the future instead of the moment. Worry
is a pessimistic approach to life. When you live in
worry, you're constantly asking 'what if this happens?',
'and if this happens, what if that happens?'.
You
trade your life for shadowy possibilities, piling one
on top of the next until the weight of 'what if' pins
you in your pessimism.
Regret
is living in the past instead of the moment. Regret
is a shameful approach to life. You look behind you,
and wish things were different. You constantly tell
yourself 'if only I'd done that differently', and 'if
I had done that differently, I'd be there instead of
here'.
You
trade your life for guilt and sorrow, examining every
decision until your second-guessing becomes paralysis
and you stop moving forward.
Fear
is living in uncertainty instead of now. Fear is a timid
approach to life. When you live in fear, you hold back,
denying yourself and others a world of possibilities.
You
trade your life for scenes of things that could go wrong,
and the movie you create keeps you in your seat, alone
in a dark theater.
The
antidote to worry is refocusing on NOW. Right this moment.
What do you see, what do you smell, what do you taste,
what is in your lap and in your life right this minute?
This is what's real.
The
cure for regret is two-fold: acceptance and forgiveness.
It is what it is. You are where you are. You cannot
change what was, you can only build on what is. You
did the best you could with all of your resources at
that moment. It's what you will do NOW that matters.
The
solution for fear is faith. You have been protected
and provided for right up to this very minute. It will
continue. Do good for others; trust you will receive
good in return.
Take
an inventory of the things you have to be thankful for,
and you will see the big picture.
This
moment will never come again. Savor it for all it is
NOW. Direct your attention toward the people and places
and things you experience NOW.
