We all think we are going to live for ever, or at least until tomorrow. Generally speaking none of us imagine when we wake up in the morning, that this is our last day on planet earth.
Frequently I have heard people say, if it was their last day, they would go blow all their money, or get drugged up or drunk or have an orgy. As I reflected on that I consider that those things can be done anytime, and they frequently are. What I really want to get at is something of quality, something around the uniqueness of me and who I am and what my life is. What would I do if this was the last day I had to live?
What if I asked you to play a game with me? Could you for a moment just look back on the day you had? How did you wake up this morning? How did you dress? What food did you eat? Who did you interact with? Where did you go? What did you do? Just look at these questions in the positive aspect for the moment. If all you did was go to the toilet and binge watch a TV series then you did something.
Now take the game a little further? What didn’t you do? Who didn’t you call? Who didn’t you say hello too? What did you not do?
The last step in the game is to just decide in a playful way, that this has been your last day on planet earth. There is no tomorrow. It’s over. All your chances and opportunities are used up and you will not wake up again..? For some of us this is a scary thought. Just play along. Now look back over the same day that you have already remembered. All the things you did and didn’t do and all the people you didn’t interact with and did interact with.? Is there something you would have done differently? Is there someone you might have smiled at? Perhaps someone you might have helped? Maybe you would have said I love you to someone ? Only you can tell.
My real question is this, now that you played along and imagined a little bit. What if tomorrow really is your last day? Keep it in mind from the moment you wake up, play the game. Today I am living my life because it’s the last day on earth, not just for me but for everyone.? If you can remember to remind yourself of that from time to time during the day, what things will you get involved in? What things will you walk away from? Who will you smile at, give time to and reach out to? What will you do for yourself?
We say we should live each day like it’s our last, but we rarely do. Can you try for one hour even, just to live that one hour as if there will be no more hours coming after it?
I would love to hear your thoughts and reactions if you manage to take one day, or one hour and live it like its the last one you would ever have.