A couple of weeks ago, Heartworks lost a beloved member of our team, HannyOceanstar Tara. While I did not know her personally, by all accounts she was a beautiful soul, committed to healing and illuminating those around her with her presence. Her passing made me reflect on a number of things: the fleetingness of life as well as all the opportunities that come our way that we take for granted and miss out on, believing that there will always be a next time.

In particular, it brought to the forefront a message that had previously been given to me:

“Life is Precious and Urgent. Love, the Universe”

Most of us do not think about how quickly life can be taken away. There is always tomorrow, and the day after that. Some people are not so lucky and live with an awareness of their impending passing. People confronted with having a limited time left on earth usually have one of two reactions, they give up and resign themselves to their fate or they take the opportunity to live the best days of their lives and accomplish as many of their dreams as they can.

The truth is, all of us, whether we know it or not, are in the same position. While we may not have doctors telling us when we will pass on, the day will inevitably come whether it is tomorrow or 50 years from now. Similarly, we are all faced with the same choice every time we wake up in the morning. Do we give in and resign ourselves to the way things are or do we take the opportunity to make the best use of our time here as we can?

What if we all lived with an awareness that we could pass on at any time? What would you do differently? Who would you speak to that you have not spoken to? What risks and opportunities would you take? What dreams would you chase?

On your deathbed, how would you speak about the life that you had led?

I have a poster of that message in my room. It reminds me not to take my time on earth for granted, to constantly choose action over inaction and to cultivate an appreciation and love for those around me.We do not know what the future will bring but we do have the present moment. I choose to live in the present moment based on a future that I want for myself.

What does this message mean to you? Is there anything that you would do differently?