Live for NOW it is a PRESENT

Often times I think that we go about our day to day routine, struggles, projects, work, life and demanding things that NEED to get done that we often times don't stop to enjoy what we really have. The blessings that are in our life. We take our family, our life and our friendships, our health, freedom and possessions for granted. We take the little gifts we receive every day, such as sunshine and rain, even running late or that blasted train that we didn't anticipate,( things that happen for a reason that we don't know, but something that truly was a blessing in disguise)  and we don't bother to be thankful, because it is expected, we are irritated or we just have too much on our plate to take the time to notice. Sometimes we are so wrapped up in the things that have happened to us,  and the things that we are in fear of in the future that we don't truly see or appreciate what we have right now.

I have come across a few people in my life who do appreciate what they have right now, they live for the moment.  This has made me reflect differently, they have made me truly find the good in every situation, even if it doesn't seem possible to view it in any other way than bad/tragic or terrible.

 For 3 years growing up I watched my best girlfriend struggle with brain cancer, from the ages of 7-10 I  never remember hearing a negative word come out of her mouth, I remember her smile, her soft voice, the way she made the Dr.'s and nurses at the hospital laugh- she inspired me to be grateful for everything that I have. She made me realize that life can be short, but not short lived if you are an inspiration to those around you, if you make your mark that will forever be remembered and well received by those you touched, something that will continue to be talked about, something that will forever inspire you to be the best that you can.

I know sometimes it is easy to forgot in a world where we are "trained" to want more, to never be satisfied with just what we have and to continue to strive for better. This is fine, and wanting more is not a bad thing, but stopping to slow down and be thankful for what we already have, and appreciate it sometimes gets put off until later, and then never happens, even if our intentions are in the right place. No one sees intentions only actions.
We have a dear friend right now fighting for her life, fighting to understand why something so sad and devastating could happen to such a kind, caring, uplifting person, someone who means so much to those around her that without her they may not fathom what they could possibly do without her. This is when people come together to be grateful, to say thank you for making an impact on my life.

For NOW is all we really have, all we can count at this moment in time. It is sad to say that sometimes our reflections, our thankfulness, or times of stopping to "smell the roses" come when we are faced with a challenge or we are fighting for a cause whether that be for ourselves or someone else. These tough times are great reminders for us that we need to slow down, make each moment count before it is gone and no longer the moment. We can so easily pass by opportunities to be thankful for what we have, to share a kind thought or word with someone else. To shine our light upon the world that so desperately needs our positive energy and support.

You will never reach a point where you are completely free of all your problems, only in being present can you truly be free NOW, no one can guarantee freedom of the future, and no one can change your past, but you can control now, your attitude, you light, the way that other's see you, the way you treat people, especially those that you love so much you often take for granted that they will always be there.
We can be in control of our thoughts, our actions and take the steps we need to take action and make our future's bright, however since we cannot predict what will happen to us, when our time is up here it is up and sometimes no matter how many  "what if" or what could we have done differently games we could play in our minds, we will never have the answers we are looking for as to WHY.

So take steps every day to make your life count, to create moments of happiness for yourself and for others, and truly let your light shine upon the world, you will not only make a difference in your life, in the way you view things, but in the lives of every one you touch, whether it be with your words, your actions or a simple smile, you can make a difference.

Don't wait to fight for a cause, make your cause your every day purpose to live for NOW and make your mark on the world. Make it a good, positive memorable mark, because if you wait to long and your time is up many will have missed the opportunity to have been touched by you and carry your legacy with them in their future.