A while back I had the “what would you do if you knew you only had a month to live?” death talk. There were some joke answers (I would slap everyone in the a**) but we all agreed we wouldn’t be just going through the motions of life. We would do more. I had been wanting to write about this conversation since we had it but I was going through the motions of life (i.e. too busy on facebook). This morning I woke up and listened to the news. A helicopter has crashed into a pub in Glascow. They described it as “carnage”. The pub was full of people watching a band. It made my heart sink.

Do you think those people thought it was their day?

Ok. I am sorry about the morbidity of this post… and it has little to do with fitness but I think it needs to be said.

You don’t need the diagnosis of a terminal illness to start living your ideal life. Yes, bills have to be paid. Yes, you have responsibilities, lack of money, lack of time, lack of imagination…

But what if today is your day?

I am the bird on your shoulder saying “wake up”.

I know for myself it is very simple. I would want to be surrounded by the people I love for as much time as humanly possible. I would want to tell those people how much they mean to me. How much I appreciate them. I would want to laugh so hard that I pee my pants. I would eat food that makes me happy that doesn’t make me feel like crap… so I could workout and break all my PRs. Doing this somewhere warm and beautiful would be a bonus but not necessary.

I WOULDN’T waste my time on facebook, looking at pictures and videos of people who mean little to me. I wouldn’t have time to waste on anything… because my time would be precious and limited.

Guess what? You could have been at that pub watching that band. I know that could have been me… I like pubs and beer.

Your time is precious and limited. Make a conscious choice to live that way. Maybe not 24/7 but as much as possible. You never know what tomorrow brings.

My mom was one of the “lucky” ones (please note sarcasm). She was told her expiry date. She was able to come to terms with her own demise. I was able to tell her how much she meant to me, how much she affected my life.

Live the life of your dreams. If you are burdened by responsibility, money constraints, time constraints make little changes in your life that make you happier, more grateful. Take time to tell the people you love how much they mean to you. Why you appreciate them in your life.

“So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”   – Mitch Albom, Tuesdays With Morrie

It’s time for me to sign off. I have a lovely boy sitting on my lap wanting my time and attention… and if today is my day… I would rather give it to him then continue ignoring him while writing this post.

Go slap some a**es and then give them a hug and tell them how much they mean to you.