PART III: Time to Live
If the past year has taught us anything, it is that the mantra we live by as a family is truer now than ever; forget the past, do not worry about the future, and embrace the present moment. Regardless of which path you choose to take in life, who you choose to follow, support, encourage and inspire; have FUN! Take the opportunities, the adventures, and the smiles.
From today we really want to see you, not just try, but enjoy the little things in life as much as you do the big and important things. As explained previously, you need to enjoy the journey, not just the destination, enjoy your family, friends, colleagues and even strangers, albeit via 3 metre distancing and zoom right now. We are all put on this earth for the same purpose, and that is to live, love and to survive, and yes, inevitably we will all die but surely, we are striving for happiness in ourselves. I want to die happy, do you? One of the greatest expressions shared with us was ‘This too shall pass’ and this our lovely readers is more paramount now than ever before. Every morning takes a big deep breath, be grateful for all the little things and tell yourself aloud ‘This too shall pass’.
How to, you ask?
Socializing
Talking to friends, family, and colleagues is something most of us enjoy as it helps ground you in the present moment. Conversing is something all humans need, being lonely is a real stifler and can lead to isolation and all sorts of mental health problems. So, never be shy in finding a listening ear and of course being that listening ear for someone.
Do not Take Life Too Seriously
Why so serious? A famous line said often by a fictional character The Joker, despite being a fictional psychopath, he has a point, right?
So many of us take everything so literally and seriously, often turning minor issues into massive problems; eventually realizing how much time has been wasted on mind numbing anxiety and stress.
Keshia often says ‘No-one is going to die or put you in prison if you just breathe, take a moment, take a day off’ you get the picture. Whilst she is often seen as being ruthless, I like to look at her as inspiring, after many years of trauma she finally took the notion to put herself first. If someone or something stresses you out; get rid! We must understand that everyone should have boundaries and a maximum capacity of bullshit that they allow into their lives. If they, or it, makes you take life too seriously just move on. Remind yourself that there are billions of people in the world with far worse problems than you. If you are always looking for problems, you will always not just find them, but you will also attract them, yes, okay the world is not perfect, but your bubble can be as perfect as YOU want it to be.
Negativity and stress will never lead to anything positive, take a moment to think about that.
“I’m free of stress and worries now because if I don’t like something I’m doing, I just find the fun in it instead of being miserable. Let me have fun with the people I work with, let me have fun making money – when I grew up so poor, you know?”
– Jenny McCarthy
Chapter Seven: Social Media
This has quickly become one of those awkward topics of discussion, I cannot help but giggle at the madness of that sentence. It has been said there are certain topics that should be left off the dinner table, such as religion, politics, and more recently social media. Whilst it must be said that there are many humans who have carved out great careers using social media, and we too, have utilised the beautiful side of it for JK Wellness, however, there is absolutely no denying that it can be destructive, isolating and ultimately soul destroying.
How often do you find your head stuck in your phone checking Facebook repeatedly for new updates? Pointless GIFs, Memes, Statuses, pictures etc mind numbing, isn’t it? Like, think about what your brain is doing whilst you are mindlessly scrolling? Nothing right? You have zoned out and zoned into a world that is damaging your sleep, your quality time, and your Zen. Maybe, just maybe, it is time to take a break from social media and enjoy the real life we have in front of us. Pick up a new hobby, start colouring, journaling, hey you could even try picking up the phone and calling someone. Tell them they are awesome, as opposed to clicking like on a status update. As much as we try not to be preachy, this topic is a bone of contention and there, we said it. Stop! Just for 24 hours and you will quickly find how irrelevant it should be in your life.
“Social media is just a platform. What some people decide to do with it results in something good or bad.”
– Rana Daggubati
Chapter Eight: You May Not Be Here Tomorrow
This I will agree with can be a very daunting thought. That phrase of “you could be hit by a bus tomorrow” is quite morbid but at the same time, it can bring you back to reality.
Think of it like this, we take our lives for granted and assume we are going to live for another 30 to 50 years, but this is not guaranteed at all. The proof is in the news, where people unexpectedly die from a tragic accident or murder, or a relative may die suddenly from a heart attack.
We do not truly know what the future holds, and that notion can scare us, naturally. Ultimately, therefore we have routines in our lives, to tackle uncertainty.
So, what do we do? We enjoy the present moment, and follow your dreams and goals today, not tomorrow, as you could be hit by… hang on we have already done this.
Things To Do Before You Die
Grab yourself a notebook and really think about things you want to do before you die. This could be work-related, family-related, etc.
Spend a decent amount of time on this as there will likely be quite a few things within your subconscious mind. Now, try and decide which ones are the most doable right now, take out the obstacles by finding solutions, not problems.
Plan time frames for these goals, create a plan and then work out which ones you can carry out now, which ones require funding and when you plan to achieve each one by. Do not group them in to one, break them down, one at a time. Use Google, ask family and friends to help find solutions. Humans are handy if utilised respectfully and appreciatively.
You Only Have This One Life
Well, this might go against some beliefs, but we do not actually have any proof that there is in fact an afterlife when we die, or that we will be reborn perhaps. So, we should not rely on this as being the time when all our dreams and goals come true, no sirree; not when we are dead. I am not using this to promote atheism or any kind of anti-religion but just focus on your current life, the now, the present.
Remind yourself of this each waking day: Enjoy life before you die, not after it.
Do not Worry About Yesterday
We spend so much time worrying about past events, and problems we have had in the past, that a lot of us really struggle to shake off the past. We are not saying that you should completely forget about your past, sometimes it can be nice to look back on memories and times once spent, more so if they are good ones, but time is not permanent so we should not waste too much time looking back as this truly does prevent you from being part of the present moment.
Your focus should be primarily on the present, with a small foot in the future, as we all must make plans.
The Future
Ok, so we would say we should not spend too much time thinking about later, tomorrow, next week, next month, we could go on. But we appreciate that we all need to make plans, we all need to think of things that we need to do ahead of that time, as this can help us and benefit us. Planning a great future that is full of happiness and warmth is important, but as with the past, do not get so lost in it that you forget about today. Always come back to the present, as the present determines how the future will play out.
Do not Waste Another Minute
Now you may be reading this and be thinking, I will start this tomorrow or later, but why wait till later? You could get hit by… We did it again, didn’t we!
Stop reading right now…. Just finish the piece first…. There you go; that is the perfect time to start planning your goals for your future.
Just do it. Do not waste another minute.
“I’ve come to the conclusion that life is for the taking and just too short to dwell on the negative.”
– Dolores O’Riordan
© Copyright 2019 by Joseph Stewart – All rights reserved.
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