Are you living a fulfilled life?

There is one thing that is certain in life, and that is death. We all know the end will come, it is unavoidable. Having this information smack right at our face why do we choose to live life to the fullest only when we know that we have been diagnosed with a terminal illness?

Why are we not living life now, in this very present moment?

Fear.

We are afraid to live life, we are afraid to get uncomfortable. We are terrified of taking risks because we have been nurtured to take the safe route.

Life isn't as safe as we make it out to be. Any day you can walk out and get hit by a car. You are more likely to die in a car crash than a plane crash. Some cities in the world are so dangerous that the average age of living is 35 years old.

Yes overall we have increased our average life span compared to our ancestral. However we have more viruses and diseases that are likely to kill us even if we take every precaution possible.

We spend endless amounts of money on research, yet we cannot come close to finding cures for these terminals illnesses. We send aid to other countries and yet we cannot restore them.

Mother nature is unpredictable and at any moment we can get struck by an earth quake and a tsunami and lose all our belonging if not our lives as well.

When an asteroids impacts this planet what do we do than? It is all over. There is no saving each other from mother nature. This has happened before, why couldn't it happen again?

Wow that was awfully pessimistic, yet realistic start to the post wouldn't you say. Did that put you in a great mood or what?

Not everyone is living in fear. Many people are living life on their own terms, how they presume life should be lived. Our calculated predictions thanks to technology allow us to be more certain for causes that are beyond our control.

We have come along way in bio research and are able to reconstruct living organisms. Bring to life extinct organisms. Play with the genome sequence to alter the genes in living beings.

Where am I leading you to? If you haven't figured it out, than let me lay it out for you.

Live life like tomorrow is your last day. You shouldn't have to be diagnosed with critical illness to have a new perspective on life. Spare any argument or conflict you have with anyone. Do things you have always wanted to.

I am not saying you should go out right this moment and do the wildest thing you want to do. What I am saying is don't leave it too late for when you are no longer able to do the thing you wanted to the most.

It is a process and we hear about people doing all sorts of adventuress stuff. Let me contradict myself here. If for you living life means reading and staying at home and working your 9-5 job. Than that is absolutely awesome. You are living life.

But if you are complaining you are not doing something you want, than what are you waiting for? What is holding you back?

Here is a simple list of things to consider when you want to get something done.

1. Write down 5 things you really want to do, that if you were gone tomorrow you would go in peace not thinking "I wish I have done this..."
2. Pick 1 of those 5 things you chose, could be the hardest to accomplish or easiest either way you would feel great at having done so
3. Write out the very first step you need to take to begin the journey. Doesn't matter how small the step is. Even if it is simply just writing something down, brainstorming, or scheduling an appointment to talk about it. Simply start.
4. Do not miss the opportunity to start. After you have written what you wanted to do, and your first step towards achieving it, break down the end goal into many obstacles.

          What you thought it was going to be easy? Yes there will be obstacles, and many of them. Turn           those obstacles into the path of which will guide you through the process of achievement.
     
      5. Now you have laid out your end goal, the first step, the obstacles you may encounter along                 the way. You are asking whats next? Set yourself deadlines for every tiny step that you will need           to get to eventually get to your end result, and have someone else hold you accountable to                   achieve those deadlines.
          
          When you are held accountable you are more likely get it done. It is a psychological practice,             meaning that when you are held accountable for your actions you will take them more seriously           because you will feel responsible by letting others down even though  it is your own goal. We             always strive to be our best selves. We also are more likely to seek the help needed to                           accomplish what we set out to do.

How do you figure out which steps you need to take? Work back words from your end goal. Reverse engineer it. So lets say for example you want to go sky diving.

1. Start by writing it down.
2. Make an appointment in your calendar of the day you will call around to find the best pricing in your area for sky diving, check their reviews.
3. You will need to book a day off, so do research as to what day will work in your schedule, and no "someday" is not a day on your calendar. Find out what you will need to prepare before the day arrives.
4. Call a friend and ask them to join you, or give them the task of checking in with you to make sure the day is booked for when you will go, and the things you need to bring are prepared before the day.
5. Do it.

Even when you start the process you will feel a sense of accomplishment

"Start and you are half way there."

What am I doing to live life?

When I choose to do something, I make sure that I ask myself these two things. Do I find fulfilment in what I am about to do? Will this make me happier?

Because tomorrow could be my last day.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. To be continued....

Image copyright respectively by siasat.com, the sky is our trailer youtube.com