How to cherish life

I am an avid reader of James Clear's weekly newsletter 3-2-1 newsletter. Sometime back he shared a thought-provoking piece by Andrew Anabi, an entrepreneur and creative director. I have since preserved it in my journal to serve as a constant reminder of life's impermanence.

It reminds me to always cherish every moment and experience in my life, it taught me how to always stop and pick my roses as I go through the various stages of life. Life's nature is transient, I live mine in the present and try to cherish every exchange as if it were my last.

‘How to cherish life’ – Andrew Anabi

Like most people, your are probably waiting for something to happen. Maybe you are waiting to fall in love, maybe you are waiting for your career to take off. But this is the problem. You are eager to get someplace other than where you are. You want to be somewhere in the distance where the grass is greener. However, the grass is never greener, but it does fade. It fades and becomes something else. Because life is constantly changing.

When life changes, you will probably miss the way it was. You may miss those long morning drives or walks to the office, or those hectic family gatherings. You may miss them because those moments are finite — you will only travel those streets and see those people a certain amount of times.

Every time you do something that is one less time you do it. One day you will do something the final time and you will rarely know when that day comes.

For all you know, today might be the last time you walk in a particular neighborhood. Or it might be the last time you smile at a particular someone. To think otherwise, would be foolish. Nothing is guaranteed, except this moment. Your only real choice is to cherish every exchange like it is your last — because it very well might be.

Therefore, the best way to cherish life is to remind yourself of life’s impermanence. It is to remember that every time you see someone that is one less time you see them. It is to remember that every time you go somewhere that is one less time you visit. By doing this, you naturally slow down. Almost like a reflex, you start to truly live.