Live.Life.Now.

As we end one year and welcome another, it is my wish that you start to live more by staying in the present and find joy along the way. The older I get, the more convinced I am that the present moment is where we can find peace, happiness, joy and love. Don't linger in the past or think too long and hard about the future. Instead, choose to live life now as much as you are able and as best as you can.

The following is a heartfelt and thought provoking passage that I hope will inspire you to experience your life to the fullest.

"If I had my life to live over...

I would have talked less and listened more.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy and complaining about the shadow over my feet, I'd have cherished every minute of it and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was to be my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.
I would have eaten popcorn in the "good" living room and worried less about the dirt when you lit the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would have burnt the pink candle that was sculptured like a rose before it melted while being stored.
I would have sat cross-legged on the lawn with my children and never worried about grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television... and more while watching real life.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband which I took for granted.
I would have eaten less cottage cheese and more ice cream.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the Earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for a day.
I would never have bought ANYTHING just because it was practical/wouldn't show soil/guaranteed to last a lifetime.
When my child kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now, go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more I love yous... more I'm sorrys... more I'm listenings... but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute of it... look at it and really see it... try it on... live it... exhaust it... and never give that minute back until there was nothing left of it."

- Erma Bombeck, Eat Less Cottage Cheese and More Ice Cream: Thoughts on Life from Erma Bombeck


What I take away from this reflection:

-Take time to be with those you love.
-Cherish the relationships you have with those who love you.
-Learn to say more often... Thank you, I love you, I'm sorry, and please forgive me.
-Remember, love is something you show and give away.
-Lighten up; don't take your thoughts too seriously.
-Value your life before it ends.
-Give the gift of presence.
-Life can be fun if you let yourself play.
-Look at the BIG picture.
-Define for yourself what it means to live and love your life and start NOW.

Enjoy the simple things in life because in the midst of the ordinary is where the extraordinary can be found. As the great civil rights activist, journalist and educator, W.E.B. Du Bois once said, "To the things worthwhile- sunshine and night, the dripping rain, the song of the birds, books and music, and the voices of our friends. Lift up your hearts to these." I don't think I can say it any better. Make a real effort to Live Life Now. After all, now is all we've got.

Thank you for reading!

Source: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/49262-if-i-had-my-life-to-live-over-someone-asked