When a tragedy, a freak accident, or an unexplainable event happens, it’s interesting how we all remember how precious life actually is and how, in an instant, it can change just like that.
No matter if you’re a man or woman,
The religion you follow,
Or where you come from,
In these times, we often remember our humanness and the gift that life is!
The question is, then, what happens next?
And why is it that we don’t live our lives in accordance with this fundamental truth all, if not most, of the time?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m as guilty of this as the next person.
We’re reminded of the finiteness of life when tragedy strikes. That awareness may stay with us for a moment or two, or a day, a week, or more, but sooner rather than later, we fall back into our old habits, patterns, and behaviours.
We go back to our ordinary lives, complaining about this and that, taking life for granted.
I’ve seen this cycle, rinse and repeat, many times and often question it…
Not just for my own life and all the people around me, but for humanity and the world at large.
I question it because…
Why do we need a catastrophic event to make us see just how precious life is?
And…
Why don’t we act upon it?
Surely, a better approach when we are reminded of the finiteness of life would be to use it as inspiration, motivation, and even a catalyst to make changes in our lives so that we can live our best lives possible!
Because here’s the truth…
None of us are getting out of here alive.
And none of us know when our time is up.
These truths can be scary for many, especially when we’re living inauthentic lives and know it deep down.
I have some theories on why we go back to our same old patterns, from the fact that it’s much more comfortable (and easier) to do what we’ve always done rather than change, to the idea that change is hard in and of itself, to some evolutionary reasons that I’m yet to discover.
Either way, it remains that for the majority of us, even in times of tragedy, sooner or later, we go back to our old behaviours, living a life far less than the one we’re capable of living.
As Tony Robbins once said:
“Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.”
I find this rather sad…
Because so many are living lives beneath what they’re capable of living.
I’m not talking about making millions of dollars or becoming the next big movie star.
I’m talking about pursuing a passion as a career path, travelling the world, asking that guy or girl out on a date, or any number of daily actions that we put off day after day after day, for a whole number of reasons, from wanting to appease others and society at large, to allowing our insecurities and limiting beliefs to get the better of us.
Whatever the reason, our true potential and living our very best lives possible never get to see the light of day.
That’s why this makes me sad…
Surely, this is at least what life is about.
One of life’s purposes is to express ourselves fully, thus living our best lives possible when it’s all said and done.
Instead, many of us live the opposite.
We’ve built mental prisons in our minds that we cannot escape from.
And every so often, when unexplainable life events happen, we are reminded of this, yet soon after, discard it.
But what if these events are life’s way of shaking us from an individual to a societal and even global level?
What if whether it’s tragic accidents in our own lives, or those we read about in other parts of the world, from other countries to celebrities and alike, it’s all life’s way of telling us something we know to be true on a deep fundamental level…
We’re not going to live forever.
We’re not infinite.
Our lives, at least in the form of being human, will end.
And this sparks something within us.
But for the reasons alluded to above, and for the fact that fear keeps us stuck, we fail to truly wake up.
We fail to truly see the signs that life is giving us and decide to make the most of our time here on planet Earth.
Maybe, until we do so, tragic events will always continue to happen.
Maybe they will anyway, because, on some level, the majority of us will never truly wake up to the realisation that our life is finite.
Or…
Maybe all of this is just my desire to try to make sense of when tragic events happen to give them some sort of meaning or purpose, and something that we can all learn from to help us grow, become better, and live our best lives possible…
And maybe there isn’t a purpose to any of them and tragic events just happen.
They’re an innate part of life, and accepting this will lead to more inner peace and contentment.
I’m open to that possibility, as I’m open to all possibilities.
At the end of the day, who really knows?
Whether it’s me, you or anyone else, none of us really know, and we are all navigating this thing called life and doing the best that we can based on our level of consciousness.
I just hope, pray, and wish that more people wake up to the truth that life is precious and finite, and we’re not going to live forever.
And use this fundamental truth to help shape their lives so they make the most of life and get to live their best lives possible.
Rather than staying stuck as prisoners in the mental jails they’ve built in their own minds.
Tragic events and accidents might be one way that life helps us to wake up and break out.But the reality is that every day is an opportunity to do just that.
REMINDERS
1.
None of us is getting out of here alive.
I don’t mean to be morbid. It’s just the truth that none of us are getting out of here alive. When we fully accept this and the finiteness of life, we stop wasting time and start living with more intention and purpose. It becomes liberating.
2.
Seek growth. Not comfort.
At the end of the day, comfort is the enemy of growth. When we fall back into old patterns because they’re safe, we’re not growing but dying. Real change requires conscious discomfort and action. When you’re met with a choice: comfort or growth, choose growth most of the time.
3.
We’re not going to live forever.
Our lives are finite, not infinite. Every moment is a gift. We’re not going to live forever. Don’t wait for tragedy to remember what matters most and to start doing the things you want to do. Begin now and make this a way you live life.