You Only Live Once

“You only live once.”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this.

So many times that it’s just started to be empty words. Just like:

“I’ll have a beer, thanks…”

Or…

“Get the f*#k out of my house you filthy slob!”

But today, someone said it to me and I actually stopped to think about it.

“You only live once.”

What does that actually mean?

What does it mean to ‘only live once’?

I stopped and thought about it and realised something.

You only have one shot at living. Only one. It might sound obvious but think about what it actually means.

I turned 30 a week ago and I’ll never have another shot at being 29. Or being 28. Those days are gone and I can never get them back.

Unless something REALLY strange happens, I’ll never have another shot at being at high school.

I’ll never have another shot at getting my first job.

And I’ll probably never have another chance to talk to that incredibly beautiful girl I saw the other day.

All those moments are gone. I had one shot at them and, to be honest, I wasted them.

I didn’t get anywhere near the amount of excitement, happiness, and freedom out of those moments as I could have.

Now, I want you to think about your life:

You only have one shot at being exactly where you are, right now.

What are you doing with it?

You only have one shot at taking the specific opportunities that are sitting RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, right now.

You only have one shot a being in the exact spot that you are, right now, and it’s fading away before you.

So, what is sitting in front of you, right now?

What opportunities are you allowing to pass you by?

What part of your life are you allowing to slowly slide away from you?

And most importantly, what can you do to claim it? Now.

Think back over the last week. How many opportunities did you miss that you will probably never have again?

Think back over the last month. How many opportunities did you miss that you will probably never have again?

Think back over the last year. How many opportunities did you miss that you will probably never have again?

And how would your live be different if you chose to take even a quarter of them?

How about half?

How about all of them?

You only live once and it’s slipping away from you.

What are you going to do about it?

I have a challenge for you.

Your challenge for today is to live this day being conscious of the fact that this is the last time you’ll ever live this day. As soon as you experience a moment, it’s gone.

Keep your focus on the fact that the specific opportunities that are sitting in front of you, right now, will never exist again.

When you see that beautiful girl that you have to have in your life and you choose not to talk to her, keep your focus on the fact that you’ll probably never have an opportunity to talk to her again.

When you have an idea that you think will help someone change their life, but hold it back out of fear of being judged, remind yourself that you may never have the chance to help them again.

See how that effects the way you engage your world.