Life is for living and whether we choose to jump in and participate or to simply sit on the sidelines and observe, it will pass just the same; however, the moments that we experience, if we are actively participating, will be very different than if we were to take a passive role and float through life as a cork on the ocean.

This is in no way advocating ‘busyness” or suggesting that we need to be physically busy all the time, nor is it advocating physical activity over until activity; rather, the suggestion is that sitting passively and pining to be involved in an activity, when we could actually be a participant in that activity, is a missed opportunity to be more purposely engaged in creating our life.

I can recall several people from my past who were always invited along to an event and they consistently declined, yet when they heard how much enjoyment the attendees experienced their usual reply was, “I wish I had participated/attended.”

With today’s social media being such a prevalent part of people’s daily lives the temptation seems to be to spend more time involved in living someone else’s life rather than one’s own. If this is an activity that you truly enjoy, and if these activities are not diminishing your enjoyment in other areas of your life, then perhaps being an observer, rather than a participant, is what you will continue to do. On the other hand, if these activities are merely “filling a void”, or if they are preventing you from truly enjoying your life, then perhaps a different course of action is warranted.

The key point here is that if we are using our moments in an attempt to live someone else’s life, there is the risk that when our life on this planet is coming to a close, there may be more, “I wish I would have…” statements then we realized.

IN OTHER WORDS:

“Stop talking about the weather altogether. Don’t comment on conditions, just experience them.” -Stuart Wilde

“Life has its own hidden forces which you can only discover by living.” -Soren Kierkegaard

“For many years I was self-appointed inspector of snowstorms and rainstorms, and did my duty faithfully,..” -Henry David Thoreau