How Would You Live This Day If It Were Your Last Day On Earth?
What would you do, what you say, how would you live this day, if it were your last day on earth?
It’s an important question. It cuts through all the unnecessary bullshit. The story of life and of human existence is larger than one person’ singular journey. It is larger and more meaningful than yours or my short time here on earth.
History has taught us over and over that mankind’s greatest accomplishments were done not by one, but by many. And not in a single moment or a single person’s lifespan, but over many lifetimes as one generation lays down the foundations for the next.
Is It Enough To Live Each Day As If It Were Your Last?
Begin with the end in mind. We can dream big and hold onto the ideals that we envision for a perfect, beautiful, and peaceful world.
We must understand that this image we envision will not come to fruition in our lifetime. But we can make our mark on the cornerstones of the foundation for what someday will come to be.
This gives us permission to focus on the present with the end in mind. To trust that by focusing on the present moment and the present day – each day adds to the next.
Even a penny, added each day, turns to millions and billions over time. Such is the story of mankind as each of us plays our part – one moment, one day, one penny at a time.
An Important Question To Ask Ourselves
As we lay each moment down for the next, are we ensuring that these moments are of a quality worth adding to the creation of a future worthy of mankind? Will it reflect mankind in its best light?
The answer to this question is subjective and not absolute. But it is a worthy and useful question to ask.
It will ensure that as we embark on each day and as we live each day as if were our last, that we remain on target with the vision of our future always in our sights.
The sum of our day and their resulting value and worth are not measured in dollars. Healing the hearts and minds of people does not come from money.
It comes from the power of the human spirit. It is the connection we have with each other that transcends the physical and connects us to each other despite our differences.
A Shared Understanding Of What Really Matters
I believe that in time, the narrative of the world and of the human race will lead us to the realization that bricks, and stones will crumble to the ground. The human body decays. Even the sun will eventually burn out. But the soul will live forever.
What would we have each other know? What message is there to give to the souls that are yet to be amongst us? What have your parents and your grandparents, and your great grandparents left for you?
What is it that the generations before us would have us know? And what is it, that we wish to leave behind for the generations that follow?
Dreams And Goals Worthy Of Mankind
Our dreams and goals should be worthy not of a singular life that transpires but should be worthy of the generations.
A million dollars, a mansion on the beach, a sports car…all fade and detract from what could ultimately be. They are small, petty distractions, that get in the way of the real prize.
What is the real prize? What should the sum of our lives and the narrative of the human race lead us to? Again, this question is subjective. Each of us must make the effort to find this answer for ourselves in time.
Some ask this question from a very early age; and some panic over never having had the courage to ask it. Then while on their death beds, they fearfully stare into an unknown that they had actively denied until it could be denied no longer. And they frantically seek the answer.
I pray you find courage to ask the question now. All of life is a big unknown, and it’s meaning unfolds for us over time. Let the question hang there, and trust that the moments of your life will lead you closer to the answer.
What do I believe in? What do I envision? What goal do I aspire for us to bring to light?
I believe in peace. I believe this is the ultimate goal. I believe we are here because without life and its challenges, we would never know how great we are and how powerful we can be.
Without a mountain to climb, how would we ever know we could climb it? Without a challenge, how would we ever know our own capability to overcome it?
It is in the challenges we face, that we discover our own worth. The challenge is not a punishment or a burden. It is a gift and an invitation to move the human race forward and closer to the future we deserve.
To grow is to live. To stagnate is to die. Which will you choose?
What does Peace look like? How do we define it? What do we envision?
What does peace look like to me? It is knowing one’s own worth and feeling at home in the world. Understanding that within the framework of the universe, there is a place for us. Knowing that the universe depends on each of us to provide meaning and purpose to what is.
This is the message that we must give to each other. It is the message given to us by those that came before us. And it is the message we must give to those that follow.
We are called to contribute to each moment – penny by penny as the human race accumulates its millions and billions. Brick by brick we build a palace of peace for all.
Live Each Day As If It Were Your Last – Final Thoughts
With the end now in our sights, we can align ourselves with the values that have escaped us until now.
We can make sure that the individual moments of our lives are aligned with and lead to what mankind envisions as our future.
In this next year: what will you commit to each day.?
Now that you know what could be- will you grow and challenge yourself, or will you stagnate and wilt away?
Will you continue to shortchange yourself and the generations that follow by chasing shiny objects that distract and subtract from the goal? Or will you commit yourself to a vision worthy of mankind and the generations?
The choice is ours to make. I pray our choices align with the future and destiny we and all of mankind deserve.
Thanks for Reading. Sincerely,
Kurt Petersen