Days become weeks, weeks become months, life begins to blur. We settle in and accept the status quo. “It is what it is” we tell ourselves because it’s all we know. We follow routines. There are slight deviations but for the most part the pattern is nearly identical. We are bored. We daydream about the future – our next vacation, our next evening out, even our next weekend. We fail to enjoy the present. Seize the day, carpe diem, YOLO – these are buzzwords that we say but rarely that we do.
Every few months we vow to change things. We pledge to live each moment like it’s our last. We go out and do something we’ve been wanting to. We call up friends and make plans. We escape the routine with a getaway. But then we let the normal sink back in and life continues to blur by us.
This used to be my life and I just accepted that it was just “the way it is”. Days blurring by, always looking forward to something in the future. Then several things happened. A series of events that cumulatively woke me up. A decade ago my son was born dead and brought back to life. A few years later my wife got a blood clot in her leg which miraculously lodged behind her knee-cap, narrowly preventing it from traveling to her heart, saving her life. A few years thereafter I suffered a scary back injury which I continue to wrestle with each and every day.
All three memories remind me regularly of our mortality, of the fact that any day could be our last. These life experiences have transformed my perspective. I am no longer able to see things the way I did before. Every day that I wake up I have the right to make it my best yet. I have the right to enjoy every opportunity that life presents to me. I have the choice to react positively or negatively to situations that happen around me. I control what I can and I don’t worry about what I can’t. No more autopilot, no more coasting, no more waiting for future events. Today is a great day and I’m going to life it to the max. Once today is gone I can’t get it back.
Take control of your “today”. You’re the only victim if you don’t. Nobody else will do it for you and coasting is for suckers. Don’t wait for a better tomorrow, make today great!
–
Brent Mondoux
Founding Partner, Amplified Investments
brent@amplifiedinvestments.com
Investing in real estate
Amplify Your Investments and Achieve Financial Freedom 
Oh my god Brent! That’s me to a “T”! I’ve placed a yellow sticky note on my monitor that says “DO NOT COAST” so that every day I will think of this. Every so often I get motivated to take charge but it lasts only a few days at a time. Once as a New Year’s resolution I was able to make it stick for a month. But eventually I fall back into a rut. I love your saying “Once today is gone I can’t get it back” because everyone always says our time is limited but I always make the excuse that “There’s always tomorrow”. But now that I read that I keep thinking that I keep wasting my days and procrastinating. I need to change! I’m going to add some fun to my life. I’m going to do my best. Thanks for motivating me 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to post a comment Alison. I’m both flattered and happy that it had such a positive impact on you 🙂 Coasting is a tough mindset to break out of but if you remind yourself daily that every day is a gift and to make the best out of it then it’ll help you to enjoy every day to the max. Best of luck on the journey and keep your spirits high! 🙂
~Brent
Amazing view on life Brent. Keep it up. I relate so well.
Thanks Levi, sincerely appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed the read 🙂 ~Brent
This is me too! except I also face the issues of stress and depression 😦 still I’ll try and take as many positives from your article as possible. Thanks.
It’s not an easy battle to fight, and often times we feel defenseless. You need to find your own defense mechanism that best fights these blues. For me, what works best when I start feeling stressed and anxious, is I remind myself that it could always be worse. I also remind myself with the mantra that once today is gone, I can’t get it back. That constant reminder that the day is going to happen regardless, and that I should do my best to enjoy the finite time I have in the day instead of wasting it, is often enough to give me the bit of a lift that I need. I hope you discover within yourself what helps you to deal with the stress and depression; I urge you to never give up and always look for a solution that helps you to find light and keep it beaming down on you.