20,000 Days and Counting

One of the best books I've ever read was 20,000 Days and Counting by Robert Smith. Why? Because it is a real conversation about death. All too often, I find myself assuming that things will get done tomorrow or that next year at this time will be amazing. However, we are not promised tomorrow, much less a year from now.

It is easy to put off starting things if we do not think about the end. Given that we do not know when we will take our last breath, we can only track the past. After reading such an eye opening book, I downloaded an app that adds the days instead of counting down. Currently, I'm at 10,263 days and each day the app adds one day to my life. It has changed my perspective on the days I have lived.

What did I do yesterday that was worth remembering? How did I affect others in a positive way? Did I make a difference? These are questions that come to mind as I look at this app on my home screen every time  I turn on my phone. Life is too short and at only 28 years old, I already feel like life is passing me by. It's precisely the motivation needed to move me each day to do something spectacular...or at least mark off something on the to do list so that each day is just as productive and I am constantly moving forward toward my goals.

Aside from work, the app makes you think about friends and family. When was the last time you called a friend to see how he or she was doing? Or called family to let them know how much they mean to you?

Life is short. Are you living up to your own standards? Or are you sacrificing your days to appease others and what they prefer for your life? Your face in the mirror is truly the only one you have to please. If you have trouble looking at it, perhaps it is time for a change. Step out of the box and your sacred comfort zone to live the life you were meant to live. Perhaps it doesn't fit the secular model that is common to society. So what? What do you have to lose by being different? What do you gain by appeasing people who don't really care?

You were born for more. You were born to be exceptional and to be the truest you. That means no hindering, no pulling away from strife if it means following your dreams. Life is short. Follow your dreams. In the end, the only regrets will be the things you never tried.