YOLO ~ You Only Live Once!

When I first heard this term "YOLO," I associated it with daring to do things you would never do, such as jumping out of a plane or taking that wave. As I thought about it more recently, it took on a whole new meaning. A meaning that is probably more fitting than risking my life.

The acknowledgment of the preciousness of life. We only have this moment. We only have this life.

As we embark on a new month, the month in which my dad passed away three years ago. I explore life with an open mind, considering what it signifies and how we can cultivate a more profound relationship with it. Oftentimes, we don't want to talk about the end of life, but ultimately, if we don't accept it as part of life, how will we live life fully? How will we appreciate even the dull and uncomfortable moments?

Each moment is only as precious in relation to how much life we have in us. And that's one thing we don't know. We have no idea how long we can enjoy this life on earth. All we know is that it will come to an end at some point. With that in mind, we can step into life with more presence, focus, and connection.

Three years ago, I had this unexpected, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness my dad taking his final breath. As painful and heartbreaking as it was, it also brought an unexplainable sense of freedom and joy, as well as an awareness of how vulnerable and precious life is. Why wait until we experience such moments? Why not embrace life with open arms, including the unpleasant ones?

I can't stress enough that awareness of our actions, the words we speak, the emotions we feel, the human connections we form, and the unconditional love we have for ourselves and each other are what make our lives worth living.

Remembering is Awareness.

When we look back on our lives and the lives we lost, what we will remember are the moments we experienced with full awareness. With our full presence. Not on our phones or with our minds consumed with the past or the future. It's those moments of awareness in the here and now, as brief and surprising as they are, but we will remember them.

What will it take for us to be more intentionally present with ourselves and each other? In the moment we are in, even if it doesn't give us the boost of dopamine. Can we experience intense emotions, disagreements, and life's challenges as they show up?

Our lives are impacted by health issues, conflict, the world's miseries, and natural disasters, and we often cannot easily escape those situations. It is in our individual interest to build a world we all want to live in by accepting our experiences without letting them distract us from them. This isn't about getting the facts straight, but rather about what is happening right in front of us, next door, and with the strangers. To do so, we need practice.

Practice honesty, trust, and acceptance.

If you are wondering where to begin or how to keep this practice going? Start with yourself by being honest. With some inquiries, we can help guide ourselves toward trust, which in turn will foster acceptance in ourselves and others. Once honesty comes more easily and trust is being built, our next step is to accept that life has a particular way of evolving.

The premise of this post and Mindful Being is to open our hearts to the opportunities life presents us with and to remember that, since we only live once, we want to live in the present with what arises and accept the things we can and cannot change.

Our human existence depends on it.

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