With the latest tragedies hailing from Japan, there seems to be more and more emphasis on 2012; 'the end of the world'. I guess this is where I'm supposed to state exactly where I stand when it comes to that. Pertaining to Japan, my deepest condolences go out to everyone who has been affected by the unforgettable series of events that have impacted them thus far.
As for 'the end of the world' well...I'm not exactly a believer. Do I believe the Mayan calendar ended after a certain date in 2012? Maybe. I'm not a certified expert on how to read a Mayan calendar so I can't say I'm positively sure on that, and there are many, many takes on whether the calendar ends or it says the world ends, and whether one automatically validates the other.
For astrology fans, there are claims that the end to the Mayan calendar, and this age, actually welcomes the dawn of the Aquarius age. Additionally, according to Hindu philosophy, this could be the end of the Kali Yuga (the Dark/Evil age) and the beginning of the Satya Yuga (the age of Truth). There are claims that we are nearing the biblical apocalypse, and there are, of course the Nostradamus predictions (I honestly don't know what they are so I won't go there).
There are people that are running scared and warning the world to go into hiding and all, and there are people that are all "Oh...seriously? Ok then..." and there are others yet begging everyone else to shut up about it all. I'm not running into hiding waiting for the world to end, but I'm not telling anyone to shut up [yet] either (seeing as how everyone seems to have a right to their freedom of expression amendment and all).
But seriously, how does any of those options benefit anyone? Sure, warn people that the end is near. The homeless guys who used to run around with their pants unzipped screaming Bible verses about the apocalypse in the 90's were probably on to something. But supposing we really are approaching the end of the world...is freaking people out supposed to save their lives or stop the dreaded end of all time? I didn't think so.
So hypothetically speaking, if we were staring the end of the world dead in the face, should we cower in fear for the next year and eight and a half months or so? If you choose to do so, you have the legal right to express your idiotic scaredy-cat self in any way you choose, just as I have the legal right to express my tired-of-all-this-bullcrap self and tell you how stupid I think you're being (in case it wasn't clear).
Take a lesson from the people with fatal diseases who are told they have anywhere from a week to five years of life left. The majority of them are given a vague time span that will determine the duration of their lives. Yet, many, if not most, find a way to make the most out of the life they have left. They go rock climbing, hiking, traveling the world, and even...sing karaoke. Whatever it is, they make up their minds to take advantage of what life has to offer and they go and get things done.
However, I've been thinking about that idea for years now. Why do people get the initiative to take charge of their lives when they find out they are/were about to die? Is it only then that they realize the value of life? Why isn't enjoying life, or living life to the fullest, a priority already? Why does it have to be made into one?
When I was twelve years old, I moved back to Trinidad from New York. In my new English Language class, we were assigned a journal. My classmates instructed me to write daily or twice a week, about any stupid little thing and give it to the teacher when she was ready to collect it each week so I wouldn't get a zero. Everything about the new school was confusing and I had no idea what to write about so I asked to speak to the teacher after class. She calmly explained that the purpose behind these journals were to encourage our grammar, punctuation, articulation, etc. and that I could write about whatever I chose to write about, as often as I wished.
The journal became an avenue for me to vent my feelings anonymously about anonymous things, and was a canvas upon which I pasted my thoughts, ideas, decisions, and so on. The journal was eventually stolen, among other things, by members of my own family, which is another story, but I still remember the main point behind many entries. I wanted to take charge of my life, direct myself to a better path, and become a better person. I would even get angry with myself if I found that I wasn't controlling my life as I hoped to. I wanted to go camping, hiking, become a leader, form a rock band, volunteer in a foreign country with the red cross, open my own school, etc.
The point is, at 12, I was determined to make something of my life. Something, that no matter how big or small, would make a difference to me at least. Something that I would look back on when I was older and be thankful I had experienced. I suppose that might be how many people think when faced with death. Maybe they want to know that when that time comes, they can look back and know that they've done all they could to live out their dreams and take advantage of life. But why does anyone have to wait until then?
How does an average person know when to stop working, planning, organizing, helping, etc. to take the time for themselves and make it a priority to enjoy life? How does anyone know if they'll be hit by a car, or be the unfortunate victim of a random shooting or a burglary gone bad? How does anyone know if they're going to catch pneumonia, dengue, or yellow fever? How does anyone know if an organ will shut down or stop working properly?
The thing is, you don't know. You can plan on working sixteen hour shifts for the next 25 years, with a retirement plan worked out to a 'T', a vacation home picked out, and a vacation savings account to work on filling up, but how sure are you, that you'll get those 25 years? Regardless of how healthy and fit you are, you can't control the rest of the world.
In any case, you can either sit there in worry thinking about the possibility of an untimely death whether it's a drunk driver or a comet falling out of the sky to end the world, or you can get up and actually live life. Locking yourself away from the rest of the world is actually unhealthy (google it), and so is working yourself to death. Take a little time out of every day so sit back, relax, and soak up some vitamin Happy.
My husband and I have made it a point to spend at least one meal together every day, without any distractions from the TV, computer, or any pedestrians outside. It might not seem like a big deal, but when we both have our own schedules to attend to, that time brings us back to the most important thing to both of us: having each other in our lives. We allocate at least an hour and a half for these "dates" and by the end of it, regardless of how great or ridiculously jinxed the day seems, we cheer each other up. Or we make plans for world domination against sufferers of stupiditis. Or we have another vegetarians vs. carnivores debate. Or I complain about gaining weight and he points and laughs and then says I'm worrying about nothing and gives me more chocolate with his "I know you love me" grin.
The main point is, we're our own stress-relievers. We, as everyday normal-ish people, can't always jump out of our day planners and run off to another part of the world for a dream vacation, or tell the boss "hey dude...I need to chill out on the beach today...and I don't feel like coming back to work until I feel like it...so bye for now 'kay?" (well you could, but you'd probably get fired....just saying...). In this 'hustle and bustle' world, if we want time for ourselves, maybe we need to make time for ourselves.
If you're still sitting at work dreading the next day and asking yourself every morning "WHY? Why God? WHY?" then you either need a therapist or some motivation [or both]. So here's a thought for your routinized, stressful, day: for your next day plan, think of something you can do for you. Read a book, have a bubble bath surrounded by scented candles, watch re-runs of Friends, spend an hour listening to your favorite songs from high school, invite a couple friends over just to catch up on old times, or just lie there and stare at the ceiling. Whatever floats your boat.
Start off with just one thing that idealizes your "me time" and write that down first. Regardless of whatever else you have planned, shift what you can to make sure you get your "me time" in this lifetime. Make yourself a priority, learn how to say "no" to things that aren't completely necessary, and put the time aside to celebrate your hard work, your achievements thus far, yourself, and your life. Whether the world ends next year or you live to be 150, you'll know you've lived a happy life. Why not look back on your life at any given point in time and automatically smile?
Don't wait for your birthday, anniversary, or a holiday that encourages people to dress up as obese, jolly, old, white-haired men. You're alive right now, so live your life...and love it.
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