I look at life these days, as I am sure many of you do too, and all I can think about is how much things have changed. Not much is left of life as we knew it. And yes! Change has always been with us. Kids grow up, parents grow old, and friends come and go. But the change we have to get used to now is different. It is unpretentiously raw and real.
In all this turmoil, four things remain constant. Four things operate as universal laws, never to be altered, and never to be changed.
The first law is this: Whoever comes into our lives is meant to come into our lives. Whoever comes into our life is the right person. There is no coincidence when it comes to the people that we encounter everyday. Everyone has something for us to learn and remember. Everyone has something to contribute to our daily existence.
The second law is very specific. “The only thing that could have happened, happened“. There is no use in thinking “This should not have happened” or “This is what should have happened”. Nothing that happens in our lives, even the smallest of incidences, could have been otherwise. What happens is always perfect.
I really struggled to get used to the mechanics of the third law. I had to learn that “every time I start is the right time”. This took away my excuses about “Now is not the right time”. I understood that the issue of it being the “wrong time” is just an excuse. There is an old saying that says “When the teacher is ready, the student appears”. When we are ready to start something, is when things start to happen.
The last law is the hardest. When something is over, it is over. Poof! When something comes to an end in our lives, it is because it served its purpose. When something ends or someone leaves, it happens so that we may move on and learn something new. That is also why it is so important that we cherish what we have while it lasts. We only have one chance of enjoying the benefits of the experience. It is a huge life lesson to remember that no drop of rain falls in the wrong place.
The secret is to life each moment as if it is our last. To cherish every moment because we will never have this moment again, to enjoy the company of the people in our lives because we never know when their job is done. Og Mandino, in his famous book “The Greatest salesman in the world” says, “I will greet this day with love in my heart” and “I will live this day as if it is my last.” I believe this is a pretty good way of navigating through live right now. I hope you do too!