Make Today Count

Hold your breath for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, release. What did you think when you held your breath? If you're like me, you may have counted down the number of seconds in your head. It's as if you knew you would stop holding your breath and would start to breath normal again. When you held your breath, did you think about the possibility of not breathing again?

How many times have you uttered comments that involve doing something tomorrow, planning for the future, or telling someone that you will see s/he later? If you really think about it, it probably happens more often than you realize. It seems normal to talk about the future, as if we know it will happen. What if the future doesn't happen? What happens if life flashes before our eyes and we don't realize it?

As scary as it may seem, there is no guarantee that you will live tomorrow. As humans, we rationalize our lives based on factors we can or cannot control. For example, genetically, people live to be in their 90s in my family. I don't smoke cigarettes, use illegal substances, rarely drink alcohol, and don't eat too many foods that aren't good for me. I don't participate in wild activities and am cautious about the decisions I make. Based on this information, it is probable that I will live to see tomorrow. Even then, there is no guarantee I will.

Each day, people pass away unexpectedly, watch life through a camera lens, or spend all their time planning for the days ahead. Before they realize it, life has passed by at the speed of lightening. At this point, people may live with regret or look back and wished they had lived a different life.

You don't have to take today for granted. It is important to be a responsible adult, but sometimes it is necessary to smell the flowers and enjoy the moment. The moment will not last forever, but the moment will shape the rest of your life.