Thursday, October 4, 2012

Do you seize the day?

One of my former schoolfellows died last weekend.  He was involved in a car accident, he was just the passenger and the driver probably drove too fast, but there is no proof yet.
He used to be in the same form I was, but he didn’t pass the final exams last year, so he just graduated from school three months ago. He was 19 years old.
I didn’t know him well, I am not even sure whether I ever spoke to him, as we were a lot of pupils and he was not among my friends.
However, I was shocked. 
My sincere condolences go to his family and friends.
I can’t imagine how they feel.

 
We all know life is short; I know it. I knew that those things happen, I know young people are dying all the time.
But this made me really realize it. Life can be over any time. One minute you’re planning your future, you’re planning how to move to your very first own apartment, to begin with your studies and the next minute you’re just dead. It’s scaring.
It seems silly that we are worrying about all those little everyday things all the time. We are getting upset because of little details, things that don’t matter. We are wasting our time complaining about the most unimportant things while life is in fact a precious gift.

You are annoyed at something? Think about whether this is really so important. Is this really worth it? Somewhere in this world there is someone that just lost their child or their best friend. Now think about it again.  
A good friend of mine once told me that whenever she is annoyed at something she thinks about how this will affect her in two or three years and if the answer is that it won’t at all, it’s just not worth it. I think this is the right approach.


So, seize the day.
I know this is not possible every day, in fact I don’t really know how to do it, as we all have so many duties. We have to go work, we can’t just stay at home because we would like to do something else to seize the day. But I think there is always a way.

There are a lot of sayings that try to convince us that we should live every day as if it was our last one, because some day it will indeed be the last one. I totally agree with the idea of that. But I think it is impossible to do that every day. If this was your last day, would you really spend it at work and maybe clean your house and do the laundry when you are at home? I don’t think so, but yet you have to do it. We can’t just neglect all of our obligations because we would like to have fun instead. But you can attend to your duties and enjoy life at the same time. You can try to focus on everything good that happens in your life, you can appreciate all those things. And you can try to change the things you are not happy about.
Did you ever realize that all those little things you are complaining about are actually not that bad at all? (By the way, I am no exception, this also addresses me.)
Do you have your own way to live your life to the fullest? Is there something you love doing that you do every day? Is there something you really enjoy doing and do you do it often enough? Is there something you always wanted to do but haven’t so far?
Do you really enjoy every day, or better still, every minute of your life?

Do you seize the day?

Despite of all the problems you might face and all the duties you have, take a minute and think about how valuable life is, think about the good things you have.
And don’t forget to tell your loved ones to tell them you love them from time to time.
Life is so short, don’t throw it away. Regardless of your age, it could be over any time. Try to focus on the good things, no matter how small they are.

13 comments:

  1. Yes Kleopatra, it's easier said than done. I know to well what it is like to lose a loved one very unexpectedly. In my life right now I have left no stone unturned. I have dotted the i's and crossed the Ts and also made provision should I die today. There is nothing extra that I need to say to anyone should I not have tomorrow. I made sure this was sorted when my nephew died 2 years ago. It jolted me into reality.

    I have good days and bad days but am totally aware that this is life. I can't be perfectly happy everyday as this is not normal (well for me anyway). I seize the day as I see appropriate.

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    1. I'm so sorry to hear about the death of your nephew.
      I have always avoided thinking too much about this and I haven't sorted anything for the case of my death, but I guess there is not much to do anyway, I don't have kids and I don't have money.

      I agree with you, it is normal not be happy everyday.

      Thank you for commenting.

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  2. Anonymous5/10/12 05:09

    It seems a silly truism to mention that Mr. Death is part of our Lives as an essential component.

    I know it does not sound good, but without his significant work, we will be devastated by Eternity.

    This is the reason I do not feel life is short, unless we start a boring philosophical definition of short!

    My experience was similar to many people who lost a very, very close being, and then there was nothing!

    Even so, I could never understand the sentence "seize the day"

    I'll be terse in this subject because it makes my entrails quivers.

    My simple reaction to life is: Hello dawn! - Good night, evening!

    And, as my friend Hamlet would say before giving over his ghost:

    "The rest is silence!"

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    1. I see your point. And I agree, most days I just live my life and do not think about this much. It's just when I think about it (and the death of this young school mate made me think about it a lot) that I come to the conclusion I should seize the day. But I was never sure how to do that. So I just continue with what I do in my life and try to enjoy everything good that happens to me.

      Thank you for commenting, even though it made your entrails quiver!

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  3. Kleo, So sorry to hear about the loss of your friend, especially a person so young. If anything good can come out of loss like that, it's the realization that life is meant to be lived and enjoyed fully, one day at a time.

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    1. Thank you for your comment and your kind words.
      You really don't have to be sorry for me, I didn't know him well. I am really sorry for his family and friends though.

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  4. That is so true, just sitting and whining about your problems doesn't help at all, especially when you can do something about it. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do when a family member dies.

    Yes, it is a shock to know that people die that are just your age. It reminds you very much of your own mortality.

    Thank you for your comment.

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  5. Kleopatra, these are wonderful and necessary questions you're asking yourself. Your life belongs to you and you have a right to wonder what's the best use you can make of it. It seems to me you're already beginning to find some of the answers.

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    1. Thank you! It seems to me there are still a lot more questions than answers.

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  6. ..thanks for sharing...keep writing.. :)

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  7. I do seize the day cos I feel life is too short. I'm able to smile today but who knows tomorrow might never come. I try to make the best of my time, make others happy and bringing smiles to their faces. It's a little deed but if it could make a difference in others' lives, why not just give with sincerity. It's all about giving without expecting anything in return.

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts. :)

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    1. I agree so much, there is nothing more wonderful than making a difference in someone's life in a positive way and making someone happy and often you don't even have to do much to make someone smile. I think it's much more than just a little deed. :)

      Thank you for sharing your views! :)

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