Life Is Short!

 

Life is short!


I've been saying that a lot.  But really, if you think about it, Life IS short!


We are merely here on Earth for a lifetime.  For some it may be decades, for others a whole lot shorter.  Even if you live to be a 100 years old; in the grand scheme of things, that is a short amount of time.


If you love someone, truly love someone, you'd want to spend an eternity with that person, not merely 100 years.


If you want to make a difference in the world - perhaps help bring about peace and clean up the Earth, then 100 years wouldn't be enough.  There's so much to do and change takes time.


But really, life is short, because we are not meant to stay on Earth forever.  We are merely here temporarily - on a mission. 


Aren't we supposed to be preparing for our eternal life in Heaven?  And, of course, being human that's a pretty tough job.  We aren't perfect; we make many mistakes. So we need to continually strive to do better. Now. Today and everyday.


We need to realize that we do not have the luxury of making mistakes now to fix later.  We do not have the luxury of doing all the great things later.  We have to do our best now.


I think some people mistakenly think that because Life is short, that they should do whatever they want now.  Enjoy Life without a care in the world.


Not quite...


Yes, enjoy Life...  That part is fine.  Enjoy Life!  But we also need to remember to enjoy Life responsibly!


We have to remember our mission, our responsibilities, our duties.  To help others, to make a difference, to try our best to make the world a better place. 


And I'm saying this to myself just as much as to you all - actually maybe even more to myself.  I'm trying to motivate myself to find that job that will help me make a difference.  Trying to find a way for me to contribute to the world.  I'm also trying my best to fulfill my everyday roles well.  Trying to be a good mom, a good wife, a good friend...


I often make mistakes, but I try my best.


Because as much as I enjoy having fun and basking in the glow of Life, I also want my stay here on Earth to mean something.  Don't you?


Life IS short; let's enjoy it, but let's also strive to make it meaningful and productive!  

 

"Mababa Ang Kaligayahan" / "Low-Level Happiness"

"Mababa ang kaligayahan" is a Tagalog (Filipino) phrase that literally translates to "low-level happiness."


Usually, Filipinos use it to describe a person that is easily pleased or has simple taste.  It's almost derogatory, because it's implying that the person is inferior. Someone who finds joy in the simplest things.  Low standards!


But I beg to differ.


I would like to counter that a person who is more easily pleased than others is not inferior.  Actually, that person is probably better off, because he/she is happier.


I say we need to be more like that.


If we want to be happier people, we need to find joy in the simplest things.


Observe very young children...  The simplest things like a tiny ladybug crawling on their leg can be the biggest delight.  An inchworm wiggling along can be a source of giggles.  A cuddle with mom equates happiness.


Why shouldn't we be like that?


Some people might argue that they don't want low standards. 


Well, we don't necessarily have to lower our standards.  We just need to raise our level of appreciation.


Let's say for example we are looking at a rose.  We can shrug and say, "Meh, I've seen hundreds of roses. No big deal."  Or we can look at it closely and try to find what makes it unique or simply appreciate it for what it is.  Don't you think we'd all be happier if we chose the latter reaction?


Same thing goes for the everyday things.  The person that holds the door for us.  The baby that shows her toothless grin.  The dog sticking his nose out the car window.  Our spouse who cooks dinner.  Our child's drawing of the family with a big heart above it.


We can choose to shrug off the simple things or we can appreciate them. 


Life is short; let's be joyful about all the little things...