The End of the World...

So apparently, the Mayan's predicted that today will be the end of the world. While I don't necessarily believe the Mayan's theory is actually going to come true, I do think this gives us all an opportunity to hopefully look a little closer at how we live our lives each day. I guarantee if you knew, for a fact, that the world would end on a particular day, you would live a little bit differently than you do on a day-to-day basis. You wouldn't take the little things for granted. The things that you normally stress over, whether it be your job, cleaning the house, getting the kids to school on time, or even paying bills, wouldn't matter. I know for me, all that would matter is my family and how I spent that last day with them. I would kiss them every chance I got, hold them extra tight when I hugged them and would make sure that they knew how much I loved them (which I try to do every single day, anyways). I wouldn't stress over the floors that need sweeping or the dishes that need washing... I would run around outside with my kids all day, enjoying the fresh air, while laughing and listening to my children. Sometimes I notice that when my 4-year-old begins to ramble on and on about something, I tend to zone out and focus more on what I'm doing and I just nod and give a random "Oh wow!... really?... That's awesome!"... without really listening to exactly what he's talking about. (I do listen, but I have my moments where I am guilty of not giving him my 100% attention)

So the point that I'm trying to get to is this: Don't wait for something to happen, in order to live the life that you truly want to live. It shouldn't take the fear of the world ending to soak in every sweet, little moment with your loved ones. Tomorrow is never a guarantee for anyone, so live each and every day as if it were your last. Don't stress the small stuff in life, and make sure you have your priorities in the right order. Look to God for guidance and pray in times of need. These are words that I live by everyday and I try my best to live in the moment. It may sound strange, but sometimes when I'm playing with my kids, I imagine as if I'm in the future looking back on it. That way, I feel like I am truly cherishing that one single moment in time, and I spend it in a way where I would want to look back on and say that's exactly how I wanted to spend that time with my kids.

So on that note... when the world doesn't end today, don't look at it as more time to get things "right", but look at it as a new day and a fresh start to make any changes to your life that you feel will make a positive difference in your own life, your family's lives and maybe even a complete stranger's.