An important part of making the most of the human experience involves truly embracing something that should be obvious: as human beings, each of us is alive now and each of us will die one day. Fully accepting this is not as easy as it may seem. Think about it, how often do you stop to really consider the fact that you are a living organism and what that means? And not just any old organism, but a human being capable of thought, emotion, and creativity of a kind seen nowhere else in nature. You may or may not be a religious person, but if the word ‘miracle’ means anything, then you are surely one. When was the last time you allowed yourself to be aware of your own breathing, thinking, and feeling at a given moment? Most of us rush through each day too busy, tired, or frustrated for such considerations.  Part of living for the present is being aware of who and what we are; right here and right now. It is not a waste of time to reflect upon yourself, if only for a short time, and there is nothing wrong with allowing yourself to feel joy at just being alive.

Of course the other side of realizing that you are truly alive is recognizing that you are going to die one day. An inescapable part of the deal when you are born is that you will one day expire. People of various faiths believe in an afterlife of some kind, and if that brings them comfort then that is all well and good, but I am referring here to physical death. The human body has a limited lifespan. Throughout history people have tended to really struggle with this one. Death is feared, ignored, avoided, or denied through a variety of concepts. In order to truly live you have to recognize your mortality and accept it. To put it bluntly, we could, any of us, drop dead at any given moment. Stroke, heart attack, lightning strike, city bus, or any of a number of events could call the game short at any time. Longer, even less pleasant processes such as terminal illness can also begin at any time. As I’ve said, many people rely on religious belief systems to help them cope with this reality, but even in the absence of such faith the inevitability and random potential of death should not instill fear. Accepting this reality is essential to living fully.

You cannot truly live in the moment unless you are prepared to have that moment be your last. For many people, the initial reaction to such a notion is emotional and extreme. They talk of performing any of a number of rash, dangerous, or irrational acts on their last day or in their last moment. Upon more thoughtful reflection, however, most people settle down and start to think about what is most important to them. At this point responses turn to being with loved ones and reflecting on what is most important in their lives. Here we start to see the point of living in the moment.  If you were going to die in an hour you would try to spend that time with the ones you love, so try in your everyday life to spend as much time as possible with the ones you love. The ones you love are not a video game, the internet, your cell phone, or a bar. If the task you are doing at work were to be the last piece of work you would be remembered by you would try to make it your best. If the last thing you could do to your body were something to honor it, or to pollute it, which would you choose? If your last thoughts could be clear and peaceful, or clouded and impaired, which would you want to be the last that send you to eternity? You can do something this day and this moment to make your mind clear and peaceful. Would you rather wallow in doubt, fear, and regret? Would you rather dull your senses to the point that you cannot fully experience your last moment? You can do something this day and this moment to make your body healthier and stronger. Would you rather spend your last moments lamenting over the body you used to have and feeling regret at how your body will be viewed in posterity? You can do something this day and this moment to let those you love know how you really feel. Would you rather have grudges, unresolved issues, and missed opportunities be your final connection? You can do something this day and this moment to honor who you are and what you do. Would you rather be remembered for your own sake as one who left things unfinished or didn’t do your very best all the time? The finite quality of our lives can be a very positive motivator if we learn how to let it be instead of fearing and hiding from our mortality.