I received a reflection – among the many daily emails I receive – in my inbox every morning.  Frequently, these have to do with healthy living as they do come from SparkPeople.com.  Today’s, though, resonates with me on so many levels.

Don’t put off living the life you want

There is no lesson for today. You have permission to stop thinking for a moment and just enjoy yourself. Stop looking at your computer right now and go look at the world. Rediscover the natural wonders that you walk past every day. How can there possibly be that many shades of green? Let your mind be grateful for a break. Don’t think, don’t strain. Let the memories of loved ones remind you of your favorite times. Close your eyes and try to smell the sunshine. Listen to your heart beat in your ears. If it’s raining, smile at the thought of the flowers that will soon follow. If you’re surrounded by buildings, celebrate the creative genius of human beings. See the hope, the alarm, the love, the grief in faces that stream by. Thank whomever you’d like to thank for the chance to even be here. For a moment today, don’t worry about being better. Just be.

How many times have you sat and thought “if I had only done x?”  Your life needs to be lived, whether it is the life you think you should have or not.  I know that often we are caught up in the “nexts” – next week, tomorrow, next month, next career move.  Unfortunately, by waiting on and worrying about the “nexts,” we waste what could be today.

So, accept your life for what it is.  You, if you are reading this, most likely have a job, a roof over your head, food on the table.  You, hopefully, have people in your life that love and support you.  Be grateful for all of what you have.  Do not wait for the “next best thing” to make your life what you think it should be.  LIVE!!

We’re always getting ready to live, but never living.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer