Learn to live for today

Zachary Aldwin Milkshake in the Boardroom
I attended the funeral of a 35-year-old man whose life was cut short this past weekend. This was a case of a light snuffed out in the middle of what was by all accounts a productive, inspiring and beautiful life.
Now there is a cheery thought to brighten your Thursday morning.
We have all seen it though, the tragedy of an early demise. The metaphorical extinguishing of a candle before it has fully burnt out, except that in this case it can never be lit again.

It was a beautiful service though, it had wonderful elements, one of which I would like to discuss with you.
Funerals are not for the dead as much as they are for the living. They are a culturally universal; every culture has its own ritual.

As much as we conduct ceremonies to usher the departed onto the next life, funerals are a place to help us grieve and move forward.
Death challenges us, reminds us of our frailty as humans, our mortality. We are all going to die at some point.

It could be tomorrow. Which raises the question: What are you going to do about today? The past is just that-the past.
You cannot alter it no matter how many times you rewrite the history books.

The future is an uncertain and smoky possibility with multiple variables (including your continued existence on the planet).
What you are really left with is the present, that is today.

There are three common responses to the way you live when you are faced with the reminder of mortality.
One is to stay the way you are. Nothing changes and you shrug off the experience as much as you would brush off a piece of dandruff off your shoulder.

You plod ahead with the same numb monotony as before. Unless you are already living life to the maximum, it is probably fairly obvious that this is not really the best action to take (or not to take in this instance).

The second is to become fatalistic, where “I am going to die” becomes synonymous with “So I am going to do nothing but wait for it”.
You refuse to plan because they may turn out badly. You will not take responsibility for anything because well “there is just no point”.
You probably need medication to help with your depression and the world is a dark and evil place filled with failure and misery.

You become a walking zombie and a burden to the rest of us. Not a good choice either.
The third option is to embrace life with renewed vigour, inspired by its feebleness but aware that every morning that the candle burns is another opportunity to shed more light into the world.

Each day is an adventure to embark on new things and share with others.
Every interaction with another human is a chance to enrich someone else’s day by leaving a deposit in them.
You matter in the world because you have determined that it be so. You live for today.

Living for today does not mean abandoning the future or refusing to acknowledge the past. From the past you bring lessons and experience.
To the future belongs the hope of what you can create.

The future is where your plans lie, where your dreams exist before you can craft them into reality if given the chance.
And today, well today is that chance. Each morning ask yourself “What can I do to fulfil my dreams?” However small that progress, it has a cumulative aspect over time. Another great question is “What can I do today to help someone else achieve their dreams?”

You are not an island and where you can sow into someone else’s life you open an opportunity for someone to leave something in yours.
Finally, ask “Who can I enrich today?” Which relationship do you want to strengthen, not out of some IOU mentality, but, because you want to see someone else grow with you?

How can you make the lives of your clients better through your product?
Increasing your client base should not just be about the bottom line but should also be about making the lives of your clients better.
Too many people approach today without a second thought. They get up, dress, eat, go to work, slave away and return home spent; but not quite sure where all their energy went.

Life is intentional. It is too short not to be. Death reminds us of that. It reminds us that today we need to be better people because tomorrow, for some, may not arrive.

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