By Ameerah Angelina
“What day is it?” asked Pooh.
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favourite day,” said Pooh.
– Extracted from Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne.
I don’t know about you, but when reading Winnie-the-Pooh, this was the scene that stuck with me. It may seem simple – perhaps, even amusing or at odd to some. But that last phrase by Pooh carries a significant message of enjoying and finding happiness every day, and most importantly, today.
How many times have we put something off while thinking to ourselves, “I’ll just do it tomorrow”?
How many times have we given ourselves the excuse of “there’s always another day”?
How many times have we cancelled plans with our friends or family thinking we will just see them next time?
How do we know there will be a next time?
Accidents always come as a surprise; no one expects it until it has already happened. And later comes the regret that often has to do with hoping we had done something earlier, whether it is spending more time with our loved ones, or pursuing our dreams, or even simple things like having that fried chicken we have been craving for days. Whatever it is, there is always the regret.
So why do we keep putting things off for another time?
If our parents call us, pick up the phone. Don’t just dismiss the call because we are busy. If they don’t, call them instead. Tell them we love them, or that we miss them; let them know we care. We never know when we will last hear from them, much less see them.
If we have plans with our friends, get up and go. Don’t just cancel those plans because we don’t feel like it. Have some legal fun, create unforgettable memories and just enjoy time together. We never know when we will get the time to do so again.
If we miss our childhood friend whom we have lost contact with for a while, call them, meet them or get in touch with them. Don’t just sit around and wait. Take the initiative and act upon our feelings. We might never know what has become of them otherwise.
If we love someone, tell them. Don’t just keep quiet. Be brutally honest about how we feel and show our appreciations. We never know when we might lose them.
If there is a bucket list we want to complete, do it now. Don’t expect there to be time in the future to complete them. We never know if we will get time for ourselves when we’re married with kids and a job we may or may not like.
All I am saying is, if there is something we want to do, do it now. Stop procrastinating, stop waiting, stop making excuses. We need to stop assuming we will have more time later.
Life never slows down and death is an inevitable surprise. So, go out there and make a change, do what you like and enjoy what you do, just make sure to make the most out of today and live a life with the least regrets.
This is a reminder to me and anyone else out there who needs to hear it: We don’t know what’s to come tomorrow, so live right now. ***