Is Life Really Too Short?

"Life is too short!"

I often hear this phrase casually tossed around. In fact, I've used it myself on more than one occasion. But what if life is not too short? What if instead, the time we have is not being spent in the best possible way?

Now, I'm not one to tell you how to spend your time wisely. After all, everyone considers their time their personal commodity to do with what they will.

Nevertheless, I want you to consider the fact that life will end. For all of us! We have an expiration date. Before you expire, though, wouldn't you want to have used your precious time in the best possible way?

If the Angel of Death were to show up on your doorstep tomorrow and say, "Hello, Mike! Time to come with me. Leave everything behind. You won't be needing it where you're going." Then the Angel of Death extends her hand, inviting you to take it.

I wonder what you'll say or feel. Will you say, "Sure, Angel of Death, I'm ready when you are?" Or, "Wait, what? I'm not ready yet. I've a painting yet to finish. I have to call my friend Jane whom I haven't talked to in a while. And, I have to try that new recipe that I've been wanting to try for a year now."

Life doesn't end when you're "ready." It can end at any time. You could go to sleep and never wake up, leaving your To Do List completely unfinished.

So, knowing this, what can you do to make your life here worth it? To make the juice worth the squeeze?

I invite you to consider what motivates and inspires you? What pumps you up? What gets you excited and out of bed in the mornings? Those things are the things that make up a life, or at least make it joyful and enjoyable.

If you are doing a job you detest, if you've settled into a toxic relationship, if your guitar is accumulating dust in the corner, if your good friends haven't heard from you in months, if you're spending more time on social media than you are with real people, if, if, if...then perhaps you ought to reconsider whether you're using your time in the best possible way.

Are you happy? Are you more interested in accumulating possessions than you are in acquiring inner peace? These are critical questions to ask yourself because when the Angel of Death does show up at your doorstep, you won't be able to take any of your possessions with you. Only your inner peace, and the good feelings you leave behind, will be what matter most.

Perhaps you're one of those people who considers life to be too short. And for some of you, it might appear that way. But what if in that "short" life you're able to be happy, to serve others, to live out your passions and feel that sought-after inner peace, then maybe life isn't too short at all.

Perhaps, it's only short if you don't live it.