As I watched, my cousin’s young 58-year-old body move to the unseen world, back to our infinite source, God. I was overwhelmed with grief and fear; I was compelled to write about how much time we have on earth. Are our clocks truly ticking? Losing my cousin to cancer was heartbreaking; this awful disease robs us of those we love too soon. It hit home for me, as he had the same destiny as my younger brother who passed away a year and a half ago.
Just a month ago I was listening to an imam in a local mosque after the evening prayer asking a questions that I hadn’t thought about deeply until now. He asked, “What is the most precious thing in your life?” Many replied, “My children and my family.” And he said, “The most important thing in life is time!” So simple but true! How do we let go of the past and future worries and live a positive life filled with happiness and joy?
For decades professionals race against time, trying to excel in our dreams, and we have forgotten how to live in the present moment. It’s when you lose someone dear you think about what’s important. I decided to quit the race after my younger brother’s death. I couldn’t bear not being able to pick up my son from school or attend his karate and scout practices. It’s not an easy road to walk, for someone with a healthy salary to go on their own. I needed few days of mindful self-reflection and clear daily goal-settings. I needed to be intentional about my day, my happiness, and my joy. Dealing with grief emotionally, I had to I learn how to appreciate the present moment with affirmations and grooming my subconscious mind to be OK. And this process can work for you. Become aware of how you can bring yourself to a happy and wonderful state of mind and learn how to embrace it all. I didn’t think of the big position I had but the new race I was about to run, leading me to freedom of time with family. I chose family and not money. I knew money would come later. I am a worker, a learner, and I will work till the day I die, creating whatever it is to help our world become a better place. I learned a simple formula: wake up with gratitude for being alive for another day, embrace life with positivity, and know nothing is worth stressing over. Live each day as if it is your last. Embrace the day wholeheartedly, and place joy at the forefront of everything you do. Brighten someone’s day at work, or just enjoy decorating your home. Fill your heart with love and laughter, and practice smiling throughout the day.
Many live in the past. I am not exempt from that concept. We get stuck in that unbreakable cycle of yesterday. You live in the past when you continue to think about what could have been if you had made a different decision and you constantly dream about a different outcome.
There is so much negative impact from holding on to the past: regrets, grudges, and disappointments. Your body goes into stress mode, and your subconscious mind keeps repeating the same events over and over like a broken tape. Let go of the hurt and start living in the present. Embrace only the day that’s before you. Believe that there is nothing good that will come out of it, and it can’t be changed. Move forward. Guard your heart and respect your body from harm. I couldn’t bring my brother back, I couldn’t stop my heart from crying and missing him, but I did the best I could. I was there at the hardest time of his life. I wrote a book—In Search for the Miraculous Cure—about how I helped him with 40 loving suggestions for the world. Pick it up and help a loved one to live with cancer. You can brighten their day.
The reason I am telling you this is no matter what happened in your past and how horrible it was, give yourself grace, forgive yourself if you have resentment, or forgive others if you are holding on to hurt. You are enough. You are capable of being truly happy. Start your journey of self-improvement and become resilient in times of adversity. I like the saying, “When life brings you lemons, make lemonade.” I encourage you to go and make the lemonade and just let go!
Releasing worry about the future
We all have been there. Worrying about what is going to happen in the future coupled with negative self talk harms the body. I stumbled upon Marisa Peer a few years back. She is one of many motivational speakers. I love her quote, “The most important words you’ll ever hear in your entire life are the words you say to yourself.” This quote resonated with me a lot because I forgot how to live in the present by worrying about my future and achieving the goals I have set for myself. My negative self-talk kept playing that broken tape in my mind telling me, “You’re never going to get there.” I wish I could erase those years of living in the future of what I needed to become, the money I needed to make, the power, the title, and the parties, restaurants and places I needed to visit, but I am glad it is never too late to change the dialogue, play a happy song of gratitude each day, and start living happy each day without stress or need. Stop the voices in your head and live a prosperous life NOW .
The stress and worry will often burn us out, and many times, things don’t go as planned. However, things may turn out even better than we imagined. Always work hard, do the right thing when no one is watching, live in humility and sincerity, love yourself as authentic as you are, help others, and leave your worries behind.
Maintaining a positive outlook on life is necessary for your well-being. Hold on to every happy moment and embrace it, and if you find yourself with negative thoughts shift them to more positive ones. Find out what brings you to the negative realm. Is it your circle of friends, your job, or things you have longed for and not done? For me, doing what I love means waking up healthy, feeding myself and my family with nutritious foods, and surrounding myself with loved ones who love and uplift me. Incorporate practices and habits such as daily gratitude, positive affirmations, meditation, visualization, exercise, and daily routine to create an environment of positivity. Step into your personal development and seek positive and uplifting people whom you will grow from. You will release all your limitations and success blockers by opening your heart and mind to the possibility of a positive mind. Guard your heart and allow kindness to flow from it every day. Be kind to yourself, and show compassion, especially when facing setbacks.
In conclusion, I want to remind you that all we have is today, we don’t have tomorrow, and yesterday is gone. Cherish the day, take a walk in the park, eat at the new place in town, take the trip you always wanted, forgive everyone, and forgive yourself. Surround yourself with positive people who want you there. You are enough. You are a limitless being. Step into a journey of joy and filled with endless happiness. A positive mindset and living in the present moment will bring you endless success. Start living. Cheering for you!
2 thoughts on “Time to live, your clock is ticking”
Excellent article. Great job Zana . You always do great work
This article is full of deep reflections that reached the core of what it is mean to truly live, and the most valuable thing we have as human is time! Time to live , to love unapologetically. Treasure every moment as time is a gift and the author had graciously reminded us.