“Your time is limited; don’t waste it living
someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma; living the result of other
peoples thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions to drown out your own
inner voice.”
Too many of us spend our lives in wasteful pursuit of the achievements of others, in the mistaken belief that we are incapable to doing better. We end up living in constant regret; frustrated and disenchanted with the lives we lead, while being totally unaware of, or quite often ignoring the many opportunities that are available within our grasp. We prefer to spend our lives just trying to get through it, rather than trying to make the most of it. We seem to be somehow uncomfortable dealing with the fact that our life and time is limited, and prefer to instead, to just coast along on the safe ground we know, rather than take our chances on untested ground, and risk losing what we have. The end result of this ambivalence is that only a few of us, are willing to step out of the shackles that restrain us, and move into the wide world waiting for us to make use of the opportunities to live life to the fullest extent available. This is what I believe Caterina Rando, the very successful American author and life coach was alluding to when she wrote:
“The only thing standing between you and a life
without any regrets is you.”
Although our first
introduction into the world was the result of events completely beyond our
control, it was clear that once arrived, the rest of our existence should, and was
meant to be, a manifestation of whom and what we are. From the time that we
become aware of our identity and for as long as we are alive, we come under constant
influences that try to affect your life and force us to cope. We are subjected to a never-ending sequence of
events of chance, fate and circumstances that constantly test our own
initiative and resolve. It is this fundamental difference between what life
appears to offer, and what we are prepared to accept, that will determine the
quality and satisfaction of our living. Although we may have little control
over many of the events that crossed our paths and left their marks on us and
our lives, yet there were countless others that tested our strength and
determination to choose the life we wanted to lead. Success for us will always
lay more on choices we make rather than luck and chance. The highly acclaimed,
prolific English author Sir Terrence
Pratchett, very wisely indicated this in his successful publication, “A Hat Full of Sky”:
“There isn’t a way things should be. There is just
what happens, and what we do.”
The need for all human beings to seek fulfillment is as
universal as life itself. From the moment of our birth there is an insatiable
desire to satisfy ourselves in every way we can. Our fundamental instincts are
driven to seek survival and satisfaction, and to do what it can to allow us to
thrive. This desire to live rather
than to exist does not occur by
chance, but is precisely what makes us different than any other living creatures,
plant or animal. Where every other being in the world spends its life in just
gratifying its immediate needs, human beings are endowed with unique abilities,
instincts and senses to seek more and to achieve more. Whereas the other living
creatures are controlled by, and totally responsive to the demands of nature,
the human mind is able to go beyond basic need to survive, and to seek more,
learn more and do more. Every human is instinctively endowed with the hunger to
grow, develop and improve beyond its present boundaries and to seek
opportunities to help do so. This indeed is a privilege granted only to humans
to choose their own lives and their own destiny.
One of the major failings of human beings however is that
although there are strong inborn priorities to seek the maximum opportunity,
yet in fact, this appears to be a goal that is not fully reachable. Most people
are content to do just enough to get by without achieving their maximum
potential. They are happy to follow along while others lead, and are satisfied
with being told what they should do. This is particularly relevant in today’s
societies where the demands for keeping up are causing them to lose sight of
their own needs and values. Life then becomes measured more by how they are
able to fit in, rather than how they could stand out.
We
lose sight of the fundamental truth that in each of us the quality of our life must always be measured by
how we are able to fulfill our dreams, rather than following someone else’s
dream. There can be no difference in the joy and fulfillment experienced for
work satisfactorily completed; whether that be an architect, completing a
towering structure, a surgeon, completing a life saving procedure, or a teacher,
at the end of a grueling or a day. Although the rewards are completely
unrelated, they each provided the deep common personal respect and satisfaction
that comes from living life to the fullest. The highly respected American
author, poet and political cartoonist, Theodor
Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) summarized his approach to this attitude in the following
manner:
“Be who you are, and say what you feel, because
those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter, don’t mind.”
Choosing to live life to your fullest extent
requires commitment, understanding of your abilities, and what you
expect from life. But reaching this state never ever happens simply by doing
what others do, but rather by knowing who you are and what is needed. There are
many essential criteria that must be present to ensure continued growth and
personal responsibility. Many of these are acquired by the individual, but many
others are copied or learnt along the way. These include:
-Establishing
a true identity and sense of reality that
allows the individual to face the truth, remove the urge to avoid or make
excuses, and to look at life as it really is, not how others paint it to be.
-Willingness
to accept life as it actually is, rather that lose time and effort following
the example of others. Buddha, many
centuries ago stressed this when he advised: “The secret of being happy is accepting where you are in life, and
making the most out of every day” This advice is as relevant today, as it
was when he recorded it more than 3000 years ago.
-Courage
to believe in yourself to live the life you desire. This attribute protects us
from always being afraid to face adversity and find excuses to do so. But equally,
it serves to protect us from being stuck in a comfortable zone and being afraid
or unwilling to move forward.
-Trust
Yourself and step out to take chances. This is often the key to open your life
to new adventures. Don’t allow yourself, like so many do, to reach the end of
your life with nothing to look back on except a long list of regrets and
disappointments. Don’t allow yourself, like so many do, of falling into the
‘get-by’ category so exquisitely described by an Unknown Author:
“The
saddest summary of life contains three descriptions;
Could
Have! Might have! and Should have!
Living life to the fullest cannot occur
unless you are in peace with yourself, free of regrets or disappointments of
not doing what should have been done, whether from fear or from apathy or not
willing to risk shame or exposure. It means being honest with yourself and
listening to your dreams and being guided by your inner voice, and not the
noises around you. It means knowing who you are, your strengths and weaknesses
and being content to work within them rather than comparing with others. It
means above all, to recognize you are who you are, and instead of copying
others, you can learn how to live to the full extent of your ability and needs.
Pope
Paul VI, the Roman Catholic pontiff who died in 1978 after occupying the
see for more than 15 years, effectively summarized the true meaning of living a
life of fullness when he advised:
“Somebody should tell us right at the start of our
lives that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute,
every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so
many tomorrows.”
The wisdom
of this quotation has reverberated around the world for the advice it offers.
For although life itself is limited, and death, inevitable, we ourselves must
live to the limit of our ability, and must do so in the present; and not be
worried by the future.
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-Kindly share with your friends.
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