Time is Our Most Valuable Resource

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If I lose a dollar, I can replace it with another, but, If I lose an hour of time, I will NEVER get that hour back.  My father once said to me, “I’ll sleep when I die.”  This was a man who woke up every morning at sunrise and didn’t go to sleep until 1 or 2 in the morning.  He couldn’t have been more right.  Today, that same man is asleep forever, may he rest in peace.

Watching so closely the full cycle of life, from my daughter being born to my father’s untimely death,  has taught me a crucial lesson.  Time is my most valuable resource.  Every moment of each day is an opportunity.  It can be an opportunity to share time with a loved one, an opportunity to write, an opportunity to take a chance, and the most beautiful fact is that every moment is an OPPORTUNITY.

Many of us live in the past, or look to the future.  How many of us actually live in the NOW?  Since my father’s passing I try to ALWAYS live in the present.  I am constantly asking myself, am I happy with my moment right now.  If I am not, then I quickly adjust myself to think positively and change course.  I do not know many things, but what I am definite of is that this is my moment.  My life span could last another 50 years, or 50 seconds, but what I choose to do with my moment is vital to my quality of life.

When we fail to look around us and bask in our present, we fail to see the beauty of living.  Life is a gift.  No matter how many times we fall short, we are alive.  We have something that is so precious.  We have something that for all of us, will run out.  So when you wake up in the morning, appreciate and utilize the time you are given because it will be gone before you know it.

Is our inner voice following the leader?

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If someone asked you to tell them about yourself and what you represented, would your answer be found on someone else’s Facebook page? I’m sure you have seen the same inspirational quotes and stories, the horrific acts of violence, and the newest billboard hits flooding the Facebook and Twitter news feeds.

With people spending 50% of their time on social media, it is very hard to tell what was derived from your own intuition and what was a result of someone’s post.  The bandwagon effect is real and is one of the oldest forms of human interaction.  It is an observation of social behaviour in which people tend to go along with what others do or think without considering their own beliefs or values.

The more lonely or socially incapable a person is, the more likely they will follow the bandwagon.  Facebook is an excellent example of the bandwagon effect.  A story is most likely to go VIRAL if there are key names leading the way such as famous personalities, musicians, and big brands.  Social media makes it very hard for an individual to gain importance through their own beliefs because the key to social media, is that what becomes VIRAL is what is considered important.  In the real world, for the survival and quality of our lives, standing up for our “gut feeling” is necessary.

In order for a person to live without regret, or to live the life THEY see fit, they must follow their intuition.  However, when the internet has found a way to be a part of half of your day, and 55 million people share status updates each day, how do we even hear what the voice inside is saying to you.

The fact is that Facebook and other social media networks are about following the leaders of the world.  The ones with the most followers are the ones that we follow and that we admire.  If they say it is a good idea, then chances are we will share that good idea to our friends on social media. We are entering a world where people spend most of their time socializing online, where, it is not the one with the voice of reason that is heard, but the one with the most popularity.

We have to remember that social media was derived by pop culture, it is a key player in creating followers around the world.    If you are trying to lead an individual path for your life, don’t spend too much time following the masses.   The moral of the story is, Listen to your gut because if you don’t then you are living someone else’s life.

The Process of Progress

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When was the last time you can remember writing down a goal, setting up a path to it’s success, and moving forward in CONSTANT pursuit?  How many people actually ignore social media and the lives of others in order to focus on their own life?  Unfortunately, in the age of information and social media, we are buried in a world of IRRELEVANT CONTENT.

The clouds grow thicker with the more posts shared online that it is easy to become distracted with someone else’s dream. You can be perceived to be progressing in your life via social media, but the question is, ARE YOU PROGRESSING OR REGRESSING?  If I am sitting still, how can I move forward? Progress is simply forward movement toward a goal. The only way to progress is to look inside YOUR mind for what it is you are trying to accomplish.  You can’t progress if you continuously make excuses for your delay.  Progress is a process that many people don’t have time for these days.

The fact is they do have time, they have plenty of time, they just choose to idolize someone else’s forward progression. I urge people to take a good hard look at what they want to stand for at the end of their journey.  Social media and the internet can either be a tool to aid us in our successes, or a diversion to our life’s plan.  Without the process of progress we will not accomplish anything. Instead, our minds will be used as a storage bank for the stories of others. Your progress can be simple, but if you are too distracted with the abstract world, the real world will pass you by.  THINK ABOUT IT!

The Opportunity of Life

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I often look back at the life I have lived and wonder why I was not yet taken from this world.  I was not one to stay on the safe side and there were plenty of opportunities in my past where death could have become me.  But, for some reason, I am able to sit here and type these words.  I have witnessed loved ones pass away, however, I continue to grow and live on.  I’m sure everyone has witnessed a story, much like there own, where the outcome for the other person was death.  Car accidents, illness, and violence are things that can happen to all of us.  Some of us are still here, and others not.  So why am I still here?  Why do I get the chance to feel one more day?  I realize that the answer is very simple.

LIFE HAS GIVEN ME AN OPPORTUNITY.  Everyday that I am breathing I have the opportunity to play a part and create my story.  I have the ability to experience the most beautiful moments that life has to offer.  I have the opportunity to chase a dream, to love someone, to fear something, and most of all, to inspire someone.

So why do so many people live under the dark cloud of negativity? Why do so many never take chances and wait on death?  It is as if some people know the end is coming and make the decision to stop living because it’s over anyway.

But it’s not over.  As long as you are here on this remarkable planet, living in this incredible moment, you should have hope.  Life gives us the opportunity that so many have lost.  We have the opportunity to enhance who we are and what mark we will leave on this world.  Life is the most important opportunity in our existence, for without it, we can no longer experience.

Being witness to so many young people, my peers, who have passed on, makes me appreciate my moment that much more.  There was once a friend that I went to school with.  We were born on the same day, the same year, at the same hospital.  We grew up and went to the same school.  He is gone and I am here.  I can’t answer why, all I can do is become the best ME that I can be.

My message for everyone who has the ability to read these words, is, never stop LIVING.  Never believe that it is over for you, because as long as you can breathe you can change and thrive.  If there is ever a moment you feel as if the world is to heavy to bare, remember that if tomorrow comes and time passes, things will balance once again.  If you feel depressed about your life, realize there is someone who never got another chance.  Understand that there are people who are now faint memories, but you are here and real.  Life is our greatest possibility, so don’t be afraid to ROLL THE DICE.