Live Fully and Treasure Today...

Live Fully and Treasure Today: Life Lesson's from A Stranger

Recently as my daughter Connor and I drove into the local shopping centre I saw a young woman (we'll call her Mandy) standing outside the Doctor's office sobbing and clutching a radiologist's report to her chest. Immediately I thought, 'poor thing she's just had some bad news'. I noticed several people, pause and look at her but make the choice to keep going.

I parked my car and went to go about my business. But I stopped and thought - she needs a human touch right now. So I went over to her and said, "I can see you're upset, is there anything I can do?"

Her initial response was "No". So, I was about to walk away with a quick 'okay' and what was probably a feeling of relief at not having to be involved. But a thought flashed through my mind, so swift I almost didn't capture it "what was your intent in coming up to this woman?" And in a blinding flash I realised it was to offer her some love and kindness.

Trusting my inner wisdom I simply said to her "Can I at least offer you a hug?" and simply opened my arms. She immediately walked into them and disclosed that she's just been diagnosed with breast cancer and that she had had cervical cancer two years ago and thought she had beaten it all. She was 28 years of age and had two small children and husband at home and wasn't quite sure what she was going to do and how she will find the strength to travel this journey yet again.

Why was it that so many people (and with my initial reaction that includes me) didn't want to get involved? We see someone, obviously in pain, and yet continue to go about our business, looking aside and pretending we don't see. Each of the six or so people I saw walk past Mandy (as I was parking my car) did indeed all pause or slow down as they went past her. It was almost like they went through the same inner dialogue "She's had bad news", and then make the choice (as I was about to) to get on with their own business and let her deal with it herself.

Are We Afraid to Open Our Hearts?

Is it because we are afraid to open our hearts to another in case it may cost us something? Have we become so self-absorbed and so afraid that we have lost sight of some our reasons for a human existence ... the capacity to show compassion and love, to nurture and support each other through times of distress?

A few nights later I watched the Denzel Washington movie "Man On Fire" that again had me pondering about Mandy and this question of our lack of caring and compassion for others. There is a scene that shows a hijack victim being dropped off in the middle of a highway, his hands tied behind his back, blindfolded and bleeding. Peak hour traffic rushes by this man, cars beeping at him as they drive around him. As a society we seem to personally not want to become involved in other people's distress and risk putting ourselves in a vulnerable position - whether it is physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually.

Because to stop and help either Mandy or the hijack victim in the movie, both who were in obvious pain, would have entailed some sort of cost for the people who witnessed it and those people made the choice to keep going as if oblivious to the other person's pain. We do this all the time in the workplace too.

How many people do you know at work, who seem to have lost their spirit and zest for life - who just don't live fully - are you maybe someone who doesn't live fully? Most of us walk past their workstation every day, not saying anything not noticing - blinding ourselves to whatever mental or emotional pain that person may be in, because it could cost us time, effort and emotional involvement. And yet giving freely of your time and genuine concern/support may be all they need to help re-ignite them.

Live Each Day Fully Alive: Filled With The Joy Of Life

It was obvious that in the few moments that I spent with Mandy her greatest fear was that she was going to die very soon. She was facing, for the second time in her very young life, her own stark mortality.

Mandy reminded me that we can live our lives in a haunted way or we can live fully ... with passion, and aliveness - no matter how imminent our grave. We are indeed all on the path to the grave - it is THE only true certainty in life - it is just some of us are more aware of how close that grave is.

If Mandy shifts her focus from "I am dieing", to "How do I live this day, indeed this moment right now with exquisite beauty, grace, life, joy and abundance?", she will live a very full life regardless of the length of it.

The greatest gift you can give to yourself is to live each day, not in fear of death, but in joyful celebration for each and every moment you live.

So many of us live shut down and closed lives, oblivious to the emotional and spiritual gifts and treasures that are available. Simply creating an existence of days and weeks and years of the same dull greyness, rather than a lifetime of heart-felt experience.

Do you remember when you first fell in love how vibrant, alive and wonderful the world was? How nice everyone around you became? Here's a thought - live that way every day.

Yes, some hours, days, weeks, months may be tough, but we can still choose how we live out those moments and where we place our focus.

Meeting Mandy that morning, was a reaffirmation that each day must be treasured - that we each must live fully. It reminded me that if you remain conscious and present each and every day to who you are being and what you are creating, your life becomes one of great beauty and delight. One that is well lived, no matter how short or long it has been. My wish for you is that you too live each day this way - go out and Live Fully now.

In Susan Jeffers' book Embracing Uncertainty, she shares an exercise that you may like to do for a month or so:

Live Fully With The "I Have Had This" Exercise:

At the end of each day write down all the experiences you have had that day: You can write them in your journal or pop them on pieces of paper and keep them in a jar so you can watch them amass as the month goes by. When you take the time to notice all that you experience each day you will know just what a precious gift your life is:

• I have had this - at the supermarket a smile from a baby in its pushchair
• I have had this - going to the movies to see Phantom of the Opera
• I have had this - my partner telling me he loves me
• I have had this - my horse calling out to me as he saw me coming up the path
• I have had this - my daughter telling me that I am so lucky she chose me to be her mother!
• I have had this - ..... well you get the idea

Look for the small, look for the grand, but treasure the fact that you are alive - whether you are alive and well or alive and unwell - either way LIVE FULLY!. Treasure it and live it with exquisite beauty, making a difference and being all you have the potential to be. Because at some point it will all be over and you really don't want to regret that you didn't live fully each moment that you breathed.