Every Single Day Counts

A few weeks ago I received a news about the death of a person I consider a friend I have never met. That person read, shared and quoted some of my posts and shared it to her friends and colleagues. Just like you and me, she’s also an avid traveler. Despite of a busy schedule at work, she always makes some time to spend for herself, her friends and her family. But her life ended at a young age (early 30s) due to Cancer.

Just a couple of days ago, I was chatting with a friend of mine about the death of two colleagues in my previous work who also died at a young age (early 30s) also due to Cancer.

These kinds of news always make me think that life’s indeed very short.

And as I write this post, one of my closest cousins is also lying in the ICU for a couple of weeks now due to a severe pulmonary illness. (Update: I just received a news today (May 3, 2013) that he died early this morning at around 3AM. He’s just 27.)

Life’s indeed short. And even shorter for some of us.

Since I was younger I have always been conscious about the decisions that I make. Though I have made tons of mistakes in the past, I have always tried my best to push for the things that I feel I like and love doing. Some of these things might not be always the popular decisions in my family and my friends, but these are decisions I thought were good for myself (like quitting my job to travel and become an online entrepreneur).

Now that I’m older, I’m still doing basically the same thing. Trying to “swim against the current” to pursue what I feel I like and I love in my life. Of course I’m doing all this without forgetting my responsibilities to my family.

I’m really not sure why I go to great lengths to achieve my dreams even if it’s just easier to just go with the flow and follow the paths that have been paved already.

Maybe because deep in my gut I know that my life is short or rather our lives are short. And more than worrying about dying, I’m more concern with living. If I’m gonna agree with the WHO Report about the life expectancy, then that means that I’m almost halfway through it.

That means I have 30 years left to live granting that I won’t get a severe illness nor get into a fatal accident.

That means 30 years left to do what I love doing.

That means 30 years left to spend with people that are important with me.

That means 30 years left…

I want this remaining 30 years (maybe a few years shorter or maybe a few more years longer) to be as fulfilling as it can be by:

Spending More Time Doing What I Love

I’m happy and I feel lucky that I found out what I wanted to do at an early age and that is to travel and to become an entrepreneur. Success or failure was never been a concern because regardless how long or short I indulge myself in these activities, the journeys were, are and will always be worth it.

Spending More Time with People that Matters

We’re all lucky that we live in this era where technology enables us to communicate faster and cheaper to our family, friends and love ones. Gone are the days of waiting for days or weeks for the snail mail to come. I usually communicate with my family through email and phone multiple times a week. I could get in touch with them while at the same time travel.

Spending More Time with Positive People

I’m at the age when I know very well the importance of choosing people that surrounds us. I want to spend most of my days dealing with easy going, laidback and very positive people. These kinds of people are such a joy to be with. Although sometimes I feel guilty of being a negative person myself especially if I’m stressed or very tired, I always try my best to consciously contain it and shut up until I get to pacify myself.

Spending More Time Seeing Beautiful Things and Places

The best part of having a nomadic lifestyle is getting to choose where you could go at a whim (especially if those places won’t cost that much). I’d like to spend my life traveling and living in relax, clean places that are close to nature. I want to continue eating fresh food, drinking hot cups of coffee while looking at a beautiful scenery.

Changing My Mindset

I realized that it doesn’t matter how far I go or whether I go to an exotic island if I will continue to carry a heavy, negative, pessimistic mindset with me. It’s like a heavy tiresome backpack that you loathe and yet you carry anywhere you go. At this age I realize that my mindset, my beliefs, my attitude, my behavior affects how my days go by. And these things affect how I will live my life from this day forward. So, I promise myself to consciously stay positive regardless. I don’t want to spend every single day complaining, loathing nor being destructive to myself and others. I know this is easier said than done, but if I’m not gonna change these now, it’ll be harder to change them in the future.

Why? Because life is short.

And every single day counts.

Every single day is a chance to be better.

Every single day is a chance to be happy.

Every single day is a chance to live.

Sending you all #goodvibes where ever in the world you all are.

Photo Credits: Streaks of Light