Life is precious...

Last week, one of my coworkers lost her husband suddenly. It was very tragic and unexpected. People only have the fondest memories of him and despite the fact that he left this planet way too soon, he will be remembered by so many people as a happy, dependable, caring guy. Life really is precious. You don't know how much time you have here and how long the people you love will be here, so it really is important to make the most out of the time you have. So here's some ways to make sure you are enjoying the now, the today...

-don't be afraid to try something new. There are lots of people who hope to do things someday, but put it off, for later, for when I'm done school, for when I retire, for when the kids are grown up, ...insert excuse here..., basically though, if there are things you have always wanted to try, go out there and try them. What's stopping you? Don't wish later that you had but by then it's too late

-spend time with people you love and care about. This can be family or friends. But surround yourself with people you have fun with, people who make you laugh, people who have the same outlook, people who are positive, people you have fun with. There is no sense wasting all this time hanging out with people who are negative and bring you down. If you found out tomorrow that today was the last day you had on earth, wouldn't you rather have been with people who make you smile and laugh? And let them know you care about them. Show them you value their friendship or tell them. We don't do this nearly as much as we should. 

-follow your dreams. So many people put aside their dreams and end up just living a day to day existence. There is so much more to life when you chase after your dreams, do the things you always wanted to do, travelled to somewhere you've always wanted to go. If you don't do that now, you might never get the chance!! So, let yourself pursue some of the goals and dreams you have, even if you have kids or a spouse or a job... there's still time for you to follow your heart and do the things you always wanted to... Plus, if you are pursuing your dreams, you are making sure to take time for yourself, and that only makes you a better friend, parent, spouse, whatever for the people in your life.

-have fun every day. Seriously, something should make you smile or laugh every day. If a day goes by that wasn't fun, it's time to put some fun back into your life. We get enough hurdles and challenges thrown at us anyways, we might as well make sure we're taking time to enjoy life, even the little things, watching your favourite tv show, playing with your dog, building block towers with your kid, playing cards with your spouse. It doesn't matter what, but take some time each day to just enjoy life. Yes, the dishes need to done, yes the house needs to vacuumed, yes the laundry needs to be done, but make sure in addition to household chores, you also spend time just being a family and having fun.

-travel. When you visit other places, you make special memories. I love exploring new places and having people there to discover them with me. It's fun. You do neat stuff, and you get time away from home. There are no chores to be done, there are no phones to distract you, there are no jobs to get in the way. Just time to be with people you care about doing fun stuff

Life is precious. It's up to us to make the most of it. Life can change in a heartbeat and I don't want to live my life with a whole pile of regrets later of things I didn't do or people I forget to tell that I cared about them. I want to know I made the most of my time here and made the most of the time I had with others.