Making the Best of Every Moment: Live Like You Were Dying

"...I was finally the husband that most the time I wasn’t. An' I became a friend a friend would like to have. And all of a sudden goin' fishin’, wasn’t such an imposition, And I went three times that year I lost my Dad. Well, I finally read the Good Book, And I took a good long hard look, at what I'd do if I could do it all again....." (Obtained from CowboyLyrics.com)

Tim McGraw released "Live Like You Were Dying" several years ago. When you heard this song did you think to yourself, "I really need to change how I live life" or "I wish I could do that" or "What a nice song"? Did you make any changes in the way you lived your life or just figure it was yet another hit for a talented singer? If you are like most people, you may have had good intentions but they have gone by the wayside. The following are some suggestions for living each day as though it were your last.

If you asked 10 people how they would spend their last days, you would probably get 10 different answers. If you spoke with 10 people who were actually dying about what they were doing, you may get 10 very similar responses depending upon their health levels. The truth is that when someone learns they only have limited time on this Earth, they suddenly start living their "I wish I had" list. I challenge you to start living that list today by not waiting until you wish you had but instead choosing something every day that helps you not have such a list when and if the day comes that you receive such a diagnosis. The truth is, we are all living on limited time and do not know when tomorrow will not come for us. Let's all live like we are dying and spend each day as though it were the best currency in the world!

Learn Something New - What have you always wanted to learn but never taken the time? Sign up for a class in that area today!

Make Friends with Someone You Have Always Wanted to Befriend - That woman from church with the great fashion sense, the man in your Soccer Club who has the same interests you have, the couple from the play group whose child is the same age. Why not reach out and ask them over for dinner or to go on a hike, or whatever your common interest is?

Have Friends Over For Dinner Even When Your House Is A Mess - So what if there are toys all over the living room or you didn't clean the bathroom today! They will not be talking at your funeral about the time they came over and there was toothpaste in your sink. At the worse case, they will make a joke about how no one actually knew you had a floor until you were gone...but at least they knew you! Start cultivating those relationships now and make for some good stories later.

Do Something Daring with Your Children - Does your teenager want you to ride the Superman? Do it! Does your son want you to play Laser Tag or climb the rock wall? Go Ahead. Give yourself permission to do something daring and have fun. Your children will love that you were adventurous with them.

Be Home For Dinner Every Night - Stop working late. Let your boss know you have obligations. Be there to talk with your kids about the day. Eat dinner with them and tuck them in at night. If this isn't possible and it is your desire, start looking for a new career that allows your priorities to be first in your life.

Find a Career that Uses Your Passions - Do you want to be remembered for being the one who moped around the office or the one who had such potential and never used it? If you are not happy at work, find a way to make it better at your current position or start looking for a career that will allow you to use your passions. Sometimes you can make your current position better by talking with your boss about other activities, ideas, and projects. Other times, you will have to leave to find what you want or move to a different position in the company.

How will you make today count? Leave feedback in the comments about your ideas for living like you were dying.