Memories are priceless.

                               This is a line from a a character I once read in the novel Tuesdays with Morrie, ( yeah, I know I’ve been using the ideas I learned from that book often nowadays, but what can I say, I really learned a lot from reading it. ), ” So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem to be half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote your time in creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

I know this might sound a little farfetched but lets just say, over the years, our generation made progress not only in technology but also in every aspect of life wwhch makes our daily livin more comfortable than the way it was before. But of course. it these changes brought consequences that we have to deal with, that we have to go with the flow, so they say; it makes us feel good and feel that we are “in” and up-to-date but before we even become aware of it, if we always depend on such things, there will come a point wherein we will be totally dependent on such, more or less making us slaves. Even if we accept it or not, we are slowly changing, becoming more and more dependent on material things, wanting more and asking for more. Why do we tend to do this? I think its because, sometimes, there’s this little voice at the backof our head saying that if we didn’t go with the flow, it will look like we’re an outsider, someone who doesn’t belong, someone ignorant.

I don’t actually mean to say that we should hate these changes nor hate these material things that are all the while changing. All I’m saying is that, we just don’t need to be too attached or something to material things.

What’s the purpose and use of patronizing things that are never meant to last? Its practically useless getting yourselves too attached on material things. Things get broken, they disappear, they don’t actually last forever. We can’t bring them when we die, only our deeds and memories will be left as our legacy here on earth. People will remember you for your attitude and how you made them feel, not on how many cars nor the houses you might have had or the dresses that you wore on parties.

So why waste our time, effort and energy in getting yourselves too attached on such things? I think what is more important—–the relationship we have with the people around us and the works/deeds that we do in our daily lives that make our life worth living for.

Instead of indulging ourselves in acquiring things that can never last forever, why not reach out to someone you haven’t talked in a while and reconnect? Why not develop a more meaningful relationship with the ones you care about? I think, these are the things that should be given more importance. Afterall, memories are PRICELESS.

Before and After. (And the words left unspoken.)

Letters addressed to you that I can't start writing. Conversations left unspoken. Words hanging by the moment. A misunderstanding that is starting to form a loophole in our friendship. These are the things that come to my mind these past weeks. :( Things I should get done. Things I should do, to correct, to learn..

I don't want to make excuses nor cover up my own mistakes--I know I've been quite busy lately, but hey, even if we do hang out on our free time, we don't anymore talk like before, when we could almost talk about anything, everything. Even if we hang out--eat, and talk?--it only revolves around superficial things, ignoring what is the real issue, why we're starting to grow apart, what's worse--I can't do anything about it. :/

We want to talk to you. Seriously. To talk things over, why we (not only about you and me, but to our group as well) are starting to grow further apart.. I know this may sound a little emo-ish but I'd rather say these things than lose someone close to me because of ignoring things and not talking about it. (You are important to us and you know that. I hope we can really talk things over. Soon.)

Things change. People change. You changed. :/ We used to talk for hours and now I'm lucky to talk to you for a few minutes a day. What's worse, sometimes, those minutes are merely seconds, with only a few words spoken.  You used to want to be with me but now it seems like we're miles apart, even if it's just a few chairs between us. What happened? :( Is it our busy schedules? Or is it merely the fact that we're starting to grow apart?

I'll break the silence. Soon. (Please just give me the courage to do so. :x)

Definitely, I'll do something. I won't let our long friendship turn into the BEFORE and AFTER. :/

Time.

"Wag na, bukas na lang."

"Bukas ko nalang 'to gawin."

"Tinatamad pa ako, pwede next week nalang?"

"Sige, bukas or the next week ko nalang to tapusin, ang dami pa namang oras, Monday pa submission eh."

Sounds familiar? 

Such a usual or usual lines, right? We always or perhaps most of the time, we are like that. Aminin man natin or hinde, a little part of us somehow and sometimes think and act THAT way. We think there's always time, there's always tomorrow for what we couldn't do today.  PROCRASTINATION, in simpler terms.

I could actually agree with what author Charles Swindoll said in his book " Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life" that "procrastination's specialty is stealing incentive and TIME. It makes off with priceless valuables, leaving cheap substitutes in its place : excuses, rationalization, empty promises, embarrassment, guilt and regrets.

But then, think again, what if there's no time left? What if its our last day on earth today without us knowing it, wouldn't we regret what we would've or should've done that time?

TIME is one of the most precious thing that we have and yet we always take it for granted. It is a luxury that no one could ever afford.

Time is very important yet we always tend to postpone whatever we can do today because we think that there's always tomorrow; when in fact, TIME is never in our hands. We can manage it but we can NEVER, EVER, control it. Only GOD knows  and GOD holds the time that we will be spending here on earth.

If we use our time wisely, REGRETS would surely be avoided; the word CRAMMING would not be in our vocabulary; we wouldn't think of deadlines as such a dreadful word, right?

Its not the deadline nor the project itself is the problem ( we would not be given a task if we were not given a considerable amount of time to finish it, right?)  The usual problem lies within us.

We think there's always plenty of time so we would put off what we have to do for things that are of less importance. I'm not saying this to criticize anyone, because I myself, am guilty of procrastinating at times, but not all the time because I realized how life can be extremely short; HOW IN JUST A MATTER OF SECONDS, A FEW HOURS, OR EVEN JUST A FEW DAYS CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING.

Let me share to you a simple advice that would surely make a difference :

W e only live here for a while, so Smile. Laugh. Love. Feel free to feel whatever you want to feel. Give your best shot at everything that you do. Live as if its your last day on  earth. It is never too late to start now. 

So what should we do?

Simple.

Do what you have to do. Say what you have to say. Make the ones you care about feel that you love them. Say sorry to those whom you've offended. Reach out and say hi to a long-lost friend and distant relatives. Make the most of your time here: SMILE and make a difference.

This may seem like a LOOOOONG to-do list and advices, but hey, doing these won;t even hurt us. INstead, it will make us more at peace and happy with what we have at the moment, for we would never know when our time's up.  :)

-iamsands

(Photos are not mine. You can click the photo itself to go directly to the page.)