According to Bill Bryson in his book, ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything,’ the average human being lives about 650,000 hours which amounts to a little above 74 years. Of course, this is just on an average but it does make one sober to think of our life span in that context – reduced to the concept of hours. All of a sudden, every hour we spend living in the past or worrying about the future takes on an entirely new perspective. When one hour is gone …how many more do we have left?
Each of us is carrying a load of rocks from our past in invisible backpacks. If we ponder on them, the rocks can become boulders and cause us to slow down and even bend under the weight. The question is, do we have the extra time and energy to continue to carry around anger, regrets or disappointments from the past? Isn’t it time to decide that the next hour, day and week of our life will be better than the past? The clock is, indeed, ticking.
A simple practice of training ourselves, immediately after waking up, to think of one thing to be grateful for and put a smile on our face will start our day off with more physical and emotional energy. It doesn’t cost a thing but it will reap tons of benefits. It also helps us bring our ‘game’ to the moment, the hour in which we are living. You may be thinking to yourself that you’re not a morning person. You don’t have to be. Simply getting into the practice of waking up with a thought of gratitude and a smile can be a game changer for the day. You still don’t have to talk to anyone until you have had that first cup of coffee or tea. This practice just seems to help get our own internal house in order for the new day. After all, you are still alive and have another chance to realize your purpose and make a difference in life. That, in itself, is a big reason to be happy.
It’s a matter of intention and self awareness. The next time you pass a mirror, glance at it and honestly decide what your face is reflecting to the world. Does it project warmth, positive energy and welcome others in? Can you see a smile in your own eyes? If not, the good news is that you can decide to change. Since it takes less energy to be positive than negative it seems like a no brainer to me. Yes, it takes honest self reflection and a bit of effort but we can change just about anything in our lives if we so desire. No cost involved – just a choice to become more aware of our own happiness index and do something about it.
Living is not merely existing but rather evolving by learning, growing, and polishing the rough edges of our personality. We all have them. We can become happier, more energized and the person we always wanted to be when we have the courage to take stock of our lives and choose to do something about it. Self improvement is time incredibly well spent. It fuels the body, heart and soul.
“Living life to the fullest” can seem daunting . But relishing our 650,000 hours is as simple as savoring the planet’s many gifts. So my advice for you to enjoy life is this:
Stare less at your phone and gaze more at the world.
Follow your passion, even if it scares you.
Live better by giving.
So today, you can choose to make a difference in life – one step at a time- starting with yourself. Now that is something to get excited about!
Have a great few days!