Most of us spend our lives wondering “What if?” At the same time, we know we cannot live in the past, or wonder how a different decision would have changed our lives. What we are good at doing though is taking simple everyday things for granted. It is these things that perhaps we should be raising the question of “What if?” If we do, then how we perceive every day simple events could change dramatically.
What if this is the last time you get to visit your favorite restaurant? Would the food taste different? Would you take your time to enjoy every bite? Would you want to remember every unique flavor that you’ve grown to love so much?
What if this is the last time you visit your favorite vacation spot? Would you spend a little extra time taking in all the scenery? Would you commit to memory every visually appealing thing so it becomes engrained in your memory? Would you spend extra time enjoying each simple aroma? Would you pay closer attention to the people you meet?
What if this is the last time you get to see a loved one? Would you tell them how much they mean to you? Would you give them a longer hug, or a better kiss? Would you leave any doubt about how you feel behind?
What if this is the last time you can go to work? Would you be thankful for the opportunity to showcase your skill? Would you feel lucky to have been able to earn a paycheck?
What if this was the last day you had your sight? Would you be thankful for all the things you were blessed to see, or angry you will never see them again? What if this was the last day you had your hearing? Would you listen more closely to every sound, and every statement someone makes?
What if you approached every aspect of your daily life which you take for granted now, as if it may never happen again? Will you enjoy your day a little more? Will you be grateful for the adversity you get to experience?
One day in my past a very special person asked, “Why do you look at me like that?” My answer was simple, “I never know if or when the day will come that I never see you again and I want to make sure I remember every detail for the rest of my life.”
What if we stop taking for granted such simple things as waking up in the morning, being able to see, being able to hear, having a job to go to, having a vehicle that runs, having friends and loved ones that care, having an animal that needs us, having running water, having heat and electricity, having sunshine on our faces or rain to cleanse the earth? What if we stop having road rage and being in a hurry, if we stop complaining because what we want isn’t going the way we expect?
What if we treat each day and event as if it is a gift?
What if this was the last time? Would you change the way you live your life?
Troy P Zehnder 