You have the distinct privilege to say those words. You are alive. You can read this blog, go for a drive, kiss someone, travel, anything. Before I continue, I want you to really sit with the fact that you could be dead right now, but you’re not. You could have never existed at all, but you do. It’s a complicated thing to think about, and I’m sure it also elicits complicated emotions.
Maybe it brings up regret and remorse. You’re thinking of the time you’ve wasted so far, or perhaps you have a complicated relationship with being alive in the first place.
Maybe it elates and excites you! It makes you think of the possibilities and the stories you have yet to tell. It may make you want to create a few new stories right now.
But no matter how you feel about it, it’s true. You are alive. Every breath is a reminder of that fact, so breathe it in. Seriously. I’ll wait.
We often forget to be grateful that we exist because, well, we have no idea how it would feel to not exist. We’ve never known a world where we don’t exist. Everything we know comes back to the fact that we were born and we are alive, but try not to take it for granted. Feel your hands, tug at your hair, put your hand on your chest, and feel your heartbeat. Say it, think it, write it down.
“I am alive.”
It’s a powerful phrase, and it holds a lot of meaning. What does it mean for you?
The biggest blessing and curse of living is that it is temporary. Even though it’s the longest thing you’ll ever do, you aren’t alive for very long. Do you know how important that is? Our universe is billions of years old, and it will continue to exist for billions more. We are here to play our part for a microscopic amount of time.
One billionth of one percent of the universe and its lifetime is ours to exist, and you’re spending it at a job you hate? You’re spending it in a relationship you feel trapped in? You’re spending it with people, places, and activities that don’t excite you?
Whether through divine intervention or random chance, you are blessed to say, “I am alive.” It breaks my heart to see just how willing we are to take that phrase for granted or allow someone else to decide what we do with our time.
You’re alive, and you’re putting off all your adventure for after you retire? So much could happen between now and then that could completely derail your hopes. Making money and working hard is important, but it doesn’t need to come at such a great sacrifice.
Too many people live on bits and pieces of what life could be until they retire, only to retire and wish they could go back to when they were in their twenties. A time with fewer financial troubles, when they could say, “Fuck it, I’m going,” and actually go. A time when, even though it might have been inconvenient to make less money or take a break to find oneself, it wasn’t impossible. It was probably when adventure and self-discovery were most within their reach.
If you keep doing what you currently are, will you look back on your life and be happy with the balance you struck? I’m not here to tell you what that balance will be, but it’s important to be honest with yourself about what you truly care about, and be open to the idea that you should mend the path you’re going down..
The time you spend is irreplaceable, so please never waste it on replaceable things.
Never squander your time by accepting less than you deserve. It’s okay to struggle, and it’s okay to hurt in pursuit of greater goals. But I’ve committed the sin of wasting time too much to wish it on anyone else. As long as you are alive, you have the final say. Please don’t take that for granted.
Work toward something meaningful. Exercise your passions instead of crippling them; because right now you are able to say the words, “I am alive.” Decide what that means for you, and prioritize accordingly.
