YOLO

I learned a new term from one of my children this past week. The term is YOLO. It is an acronym for You Only Live Once. Apparently this term has been around for a couple of years based on what I read on the Internet. This phrase could be interpreted many ways. Straightforward it could mean live your life to the fullest because this is all there is. Or it could mean the reasoning for doing something stupid or reckless. I would like to think it means more than that. 

To me this is a reminder that life is fragile. Most of the time you never know when it's going to be your time, your spouse's, your parents', your children, a co-worker or even a close friend's time.

As I have become older the reminder that we are on this Earth for only a short time has become more numerous. Over the last few years I have had my share of attending funerals for people I casually knew and those that were very close to me. I think to myself did I make the time to see if they needed something in their time of need? Was I so caught up with the small stuff that I did not even take time to say hi?

I know this thought process could be interpreted as depressing and that's not what I am trying to communicate. I see YOLO as an opportunity. Take time away from what you might think is important to notice your surroundings. Who did you just walk by that you might have made their day by just saying "Good Morning"?

Every day starts out with promise. It seems pretty easy to think there might be at least one thing you can do each day that will make a positive impact on someone else. It's also easy to think there is at least one thing you could not do each day that would also make a positive impact on someone. 

I am trying to do a better job following this thought process. I can honestly say its not always that easy. I look back on points in my life and know I could have approached a situation differently and I wish I could go back and replay that scenario but I can't. So, I say a prayer for strength, and then make it a point to learn from those past experiences to help me do a better job handling the new ones.