“As long as you live, keep learning how to live”
― Seneca
I would imagine you have heard many times your life is not a dress rehearsal.
Life is precious. Your life is precious. You are precious.
Life has a way of showing us things can change in an instant. Life is short. There is no guarantee of tomorrow. But regardless of where you are on your journey, you do not have to be defined by pain, disappointment, betrayal or unkindness that keeps you stuck in life.
There is meaning to every person and every life. Our job is to love who we are and to value the life we have been given. So how do we keep moving forward and release the strangle hold of upset?
The only thing you can control in life is you. Everything begins and ends with you. The place to begin is to focus on things you can start today to care about.
Your Own Happiness Comes First – it is important to worry about others, but as you know relationships can change and end in an instant. You will be with yourself the rest of your life. Your happiness is up to you. When you take care of your own needs first, you have much more to give and to share with others.
Value Your Goals and Dreams – the beauty of time is you can always begin again. You are the writer and creator of your story. Notice where your mind wanders and pay attention to ideas. Your heart will show you what it wants.
Pay Attention to Your Self-Talk – in your quiet moments, how are you thinking and what are you thinking about? Do you focus on strengths or weakness? Do you think about how much you’ve accomplished so far or how your life is not what you want it to be? A shift in your thinking may be all you need to experience more happiness and shine a new light on your life.
Care About How You Treat Yourself – the most important relationship you will ever have is the relationship you have with yourself. When was the last time someone doted on you and told you how much you matter? When was the last time, you were told, “I love you”? When was the last time someone took you to your favorite place just because you liked being there? When was that “someone”, YOU? If you don’t value and treat yourself the best you can, who else will do this for you?
Choose Your Relationships Wisely – be very selective who you allow into your life. Surround yourself with those that love you and treat you right. Life is too short to spend time with people who steal your happiness.
The “golden rule” never gets old. Treat others as you would have them treat you. Live your life so that when those around you think of love, care, integrity, fairness, truth and honesty they think of you. Celebrate the good that others are doing and be happy for their progress. It will bring the same to you and more.
Appreciate the Wonderful Things You Have Right Now – if nothing else, life reminds us of the importance of taking nothing for granted. Every day you wake up is a “thank you” for your life. Good or bad, your life is worth appreciating and celebrating. Somewhere else in the world, someone is struggling to have what you have.
Cherish This Gift Called Your Life – we’re always looking ahead and striving to be better, have more, do more. The truth is everything you have gone through up to now, the best of times, the worst of times has brought you to this very moment. This moment is all you have and all you are guaranteed. Now is all there is.
We are here as long as we are here. How long is out of our control. So while we are here we have an obligation to live as best we can. We don’t have a right to sit on the sidelines and let life pass by because we have loved and lost or because we have tried and failed. Life is meant to move forward.
Will you be defined by past hurts and failures and stay in the dress rehearsal? Or, will you be empowered by past mistakes and victorious over them to live the best life you know how to live? The choice is always yours to make.
To you and never living a dress rehearsal.
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