Are You Truly Living?

I once read this quote by Jonathan Swift and it said:

“May you live all the days of your life.”

I had to sit back and think about it for a moment. Live all the days of your life. If you’re seeing this you’re alive but are you truly living? Are you waking up in the morning to do things you love and that make you happy? Are you putting meaning in your life by making it a little bit better by being alive? Are you making the most of your opportunities to truly feel fulfillment in your heart? So how do we live all the days of our lives? Here’s how. 

I am sure you’ve heard this phrase or seen it in social media memes,

“Live like you are dying.”

I cringe a bit when I read this. However, this is one that we should put some thought into before posting it on social media because it sounds cool. Ever ask someone who is dying how they live? I remember the words of wisdom my uncle Franco gave me before he died. He simply said to be happy. It’s not about fancy cars, skydiving and bucket lists. Living like you’re dying looks a lot more like fighting for one more day to live. We see this all the time from family to tell someone in the hospital to keep fighting. 

Fight for one more day to hear your child laugh, embrace your partner for a few minutes, lay on the grass and stare up at the sky, smell the flowers in summer, hear the wind rustle through the trees, enjoying your favorite homemade dish.

Realizations

When you are dying you don’t seek out the most extraordinary day before you go.

You hold on to one more ordinary day. 

Just like the one you probably woke up to today. 

When you are dying you realize that the most beautiful gifts of living are in the simple moments. The moment when you both burst out laughing during an argument with your spouse, the moment of surprise when someone you date says I love you for the first time or the moment when you finish hiking up to the summit of that mountain. 

Counting Your Blessings

We miss these moments when we think our life has to be bigger. I am guilty of wanting more. I am greedy. I sometimes preach that we have to see more, do more, and have more to live our best life. Life is about balance. There is a fine line between chasing more and experiencing more. Sure, be ambitious but experience more things like laughter, memories, stories, hugs, and connections with amazing people. They are the things you will remember at the end. 

When you’re dying you realize the ordinary every day is extraordinary. It’s a blessing. 

When you realize this is when you start living in the moment. Being present while you live is the key. 

Don’t think about living like you’re dying.

As Jonathan Smith said:

“May you live all the days of your life.” So Live like you’re living. 

Because today you are. 

Today is a gift you must open up and enjoy. 

All the best,

Michael Siervo