Day 69: No Tomorrow

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” - Mahatma Gandhi

Live every day as if there is no tomorrow. Don't worry so much about the future, and stress about the unknowns. Live every day as if it were your last. If you died tonight in your sleep, would you die happy, knowing you lived your last day as your best day?

You can only plan, and work so much for tomorrow; but in the end it is the unknown. You can't predict everything that is going to happen. We don't know what the future holds for any of us. You can only live each day, one day at a time, and make today what you want it to be. Make the right choices, the right decisions, and be happy with who you are today.

Today is a gift, that's why it's called the present. As cheesey and cliche as that line is, it is the truth. We need to be thankful for today, and hopeful for tomorrow. There is no promise of tomorrow. We're lucky to have today, and we're lucky we had yesterday and the days before that.

Take what you've learned from yesterday, your mistakes, failures, achievements and successes. Apply them to your life today, and make today even better than yesterday.

Only you have the power to change your life. Only you can decide how you're going to live. You have to make the choice on your own.

I have to make these choices on my own. To be a better person, to live each day as if it were my last. To not regret my past, but be thankful for it. The past made me who I am today. Without it, I wouldn't be me. I've made a lot of mistakes, done a lot of shameful things, but in the end I'm only me. The past can't define who I am today, or who I am in the future. The past is only a part of the story. I'm writing the story, I can change it at any time. I am in control of my future.

I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul

Day 62: Organization

“Organize your life around your dreams - and watch them come true.” - Unknown

I need to get my life my organized. Organize and sort my belongings. Remove the clutter. Remove the unnecessary. Remember what it is important, and place it as such in my life.

I need to organize my mind, and life; and focus on attaining my goals. Remove the stress. Keep things organized, neat, and tidy. Let things be. Be more responsible. Be an adult. Grow up.

I need to stop postponing removing the trash in my life. The thoughts. The ideas. The ignorance. I need to just remove them, and move forward head first. Face my battles on my own. Overcome my fears on my own. Overcome my insecurities, weaknesses, and frustrations on my own. I need to be proud of who I am, but recognize my faults, and my failures. I need to better myself, and continue to work harder to be who I want to be. Organize my thoughts, and my goals. Retain my focus, and keep it where it belongs, on the the future.

I need to remove the bad habits in my life, the bad behaviors, the irrational decisions and reactions. I need to create new, good habits, good behaviors, and be more rational with my decisions and reactions. I need to be a  kinder person. I need to be more considerate. I need to stop being so serious all the time. I need to learn to take a joke, and not take everything so personally. I'm too sensitive.

Organize my thoughts, my life, my mind, my goals, my achievements, my failures. Work towards my future with organization, good intentions, good actions, and focus.

Day 25: Compromise

Compromise, if not the spice of life, is its solidity. It is what makes nations great and marriages happy.

Love and relationships are not easy. They take work. They take fights, conflicts, disagreements, agreements, passion, love, fun, respect, trust and compromises. You have to pick your battles. Somethings are not worth fighting about, and most things really aren't.

Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff.

Over the past 6 months or so, I've learned a few things. One of those things, is that I've been very selfish and uncompromising about a lot of things in my life. It's arrogant and rude; and makes a relationship nearly impossible.

There are somethings in life you should never compromise on, but there are others that you can compromise on. In a relationship, you have to be able to talk things out. Sometimes you'll choose to agree to disagree. Sometimes it requires more effort. You have to meet in the middle, compromise, and find a common ground that you can agree on.

That's something I wasn't always willing to do before. I let my pride, and ignorance take control. My side is not of any more valued than her side, and vice versa. We both have the right to have our own views, and opinions, and goals. In order to make a relationship work though, we both need to be willing to discuss the conflicts, and find a resolution.

We went to dinner last night, and I explained that to her. We both really had a lot of fun. I told her the things that I was previously not willing to budge on, that I am willing to compromise on now. I was willing to compromise on them well before we broke up as well, but it just never came up, we hadn't discussed the issues in several months. She said had she known this before; that it may possibly have changed things. I doubt that it would have, and that's just something I have to live with now. It did really tear at my heart to hear her say that. I wish I would have told her long ago, and I should have.

Never wait to say something that needs to be said.
You never know how important it might be.
Always value, and respect others opinions.
Try to put yourself in their shoes.
Don't lose your values, but be willing to compromise.

Day 22: Death

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” - Gandhi

Life is too short. You never know when you will take your final breathe. Do not take a moment of your life for granted. Cherish and treasure the time you spend with the ones you love.

This morning, her grandfather passed away. I didn't know him very well, but I did know him, and he was a really awesome person, with tons of stories. He was a pilot, he was in the Navy. He was a father, a husband, a grandfather. An American hero. He'll surely be remembered and missed. I hope to be able to go to the funeral in the coming days.

I feel horrible for her, and her family. Especially her grandmother. My deep heartfelt condolences are with all of the family. They have a great family, and I'm sure they will carry each other through this. My thoughts and prayers go out to them.

Death always seems so unreal when it happens. It takes time to sink in. It's always shocking, no matter what the circumstances.

It just hits home, that life is short; and that I need to not take anyone in my life for granted. I need to make sure to go see my grandparents in Alabama this year. I need to make sure to go see my grandmother that lives an hour away more often. I need to go see my sister, brother-in-law and my niece more often. I need to go see my parents and brother more. I want to cherish the memories and time spent with them forever.

I haven't been to Alabama in several years, I really miss going down there. It's very relaxing and comfortable at my grandparents house. They're the only house that I've ever stayed in, where I've felt completely relaxed, as if I was at home. I don't even completely feel that way at my own parents house anymore, it's not my home.

Life is short. You get no second chances. You live once. You die once. How you live, and the impressions you leave on peoples lives; is completely up to you. How do you want to be remembered? Live as if you're going to die tomorrow. Laugh often, dance, smile, and enjoy life before it's over. Reach for your dreams, and your goals. Don't let your failures stop you, use them as encouragement to try harder. Life is too short to live it unhappy, and angry. Live much learn often, and love always. Never forget those who mean most to you.

I would not feel complete to die right now, and not rest well with how I would be remembered. While I am not a bad person, I am not a great person either. I want to be a great person. I want to be remembered as someone that people were happy to meet, and happy to have in their lives. Someone who motivated them to reach their own full potential.

That's how I remember both of my grandfathers. Luckily one of them is still alive, for me to spend more time with.

I hope to carry on their legacy, and make them proud. Hope for courage, try for honor.

Day 19: Choices

"Living and dying with the choices I've made"

Life is all about choices and decisions.

You wake up each day, and you have to make a decision to be happy, or to be angry. Choose what clothes your going to wear. Choose whether you're going to go to work, or if you're going to stay home. Each choice you make, lays the route for your life. The better choices you make, the better your life will be.

You have to way out the pro's and con's with each choice, and decide what choice is worth it. Which choice is best for you.

Happiness is a choice, it is not a destination. Happiness is the journey of life. I must choose happiness. I must choose me. I must choose life.

I must find this happiness within me, without using anyone for a crutch. Using others will only fill a void temporarily. You were born alone, you die alone. Happiness rests ultimately on your own shoulders. You have to make the decisions in your life, you have to make the choice to be happy. I have to make that choice. Today.

My happiness is my responsibility, and only mine.

 Life is too short to be unhappy, and to dwell on the unchangeable.

I am choosing happiness.