The world is full of opportunities. The multitude of possibilities lay out in front of us like water in the ocean, but many of us are afraid to swim. We see wave after wave of chance crash upon the sands of our present, washing away the sand castles of previous attempts with each pass. Seeing the destruction, we remain paralyzed in fear and doubt. The waves take no notice. They continue their rhythmic roll, reminding you that so long as you can see the water, you can walk into the ocean of opportunities, and take a chance. Build a raft if you have to. The waves will use their might to push you back to the shore from whence you came. Recall that every breath you take is another chance to stand and fight, to swim and row and sail with all your strength, to navigate your raft until that fateful moment you reach a new shore, with new prospects and see the dawn in a new light. The second chances we need are all around us, we only need to learn to swim.
The world will judge you. That is a given. It’s a fact of life. It doesn’t matter what you say, or how you act. You cannot avoid it. Your silence will be judged as ignorance, your words as foolishness. Your actions shall be defined as selfish or self-serving. Thus, do not exist for the acceptance of others. Exists for the acceptance of yourself and let your own existence justify itself. Be bold in that existence such that your very existence is an act of defiance against all who grant themselves the right to judge you. Be brave in that existence, such that no barrier can stand between your true nature and the manifestation of that nature in your existence. Your existence shall then be louder than anyone’s opinion of this existence for the existence is pure, and everything else is but a byproduct of the existence, unable to exist without your existence existing first. Thus, speak your mind, act your heart, and live as only you can. Go Forth, Be awesome. No Zero Days.
Life is made up of small moments that happen one after the other. Each moment is an opportunity. Normally I talk about taking each opportunity to better yourself. Today I’m on a different tack. Today I want to talk about others. You see, we all know our own demons. However we often forget that everyone ride in our lives has their own to contend with. No matter how bad ours might be, we don’t know if the person next to us has it worse. External appearance tells only a fragment of the whole story. The good news is this: it takes very little effort to make someone’s day better. It’s just the little things that will put a smile on their faces and make them forget, if only for one moment, the darkness that haunts them. Little things. Asking them how their day is going. They’ll rarely tell you the truth, but they’ll know you care. An honest compliment. Paying for their drink at the coffeehouse. Remembering important events. Small gifts. They don’t need to be fancy or expensive. Small handwritten notes. A few kind words of encouragement. A good morning text. So many little things we can do everyday that take almost no effort but make a huge impact on someone’s day. So go forth. Be kind. And be awesome. No zero days.
Life doesn’t stop. It doesn’t care if you are lazy, active, intelligent, stupid. It goes on from birth to death. What you need to decide is how you spend that period between the endpoints. Every moment is a chance. An opportunity to do something great. Do not mourn the moments you’ve already missed. They are gone. You cannot recover them. Instead move forward and make the best of the moments coming at you every second of every day. Imagine what you could accomplish, if you stopped worrying, stopped being afraid, stopped rationalizing your inaction, but actually got up and acted. You only get one chance. Make the most of it. Get up, go forth and be awesome. No zero days.
Ready is a myth. It is an excuse used by the weak to convince them that inaction is the best course for them. It is just a concept we create, a safety net that serves to protect us in the comfort zone. It justifies procrastinating. One day, you tell yourself. One day, when I’m ready, I’ll make a move. I will take a big step. I will live my dreams. One day. When I am ready.
Don’t wait till you are ready. You never will be Ready. No matter how much you wait, it won’t happen. Just get up, lace up and do it. Whatever is that’s on your mind. Whatever you’ve been thinking about. You know what it is. You dream about it every night, wake up and say when I am ready. Well, that day is today. That time, is right now. Get up and do it. This is as good a moment to start as any. No zero days.
In the mess that is our own existence,
One simple thing you should keep in mind.
No matter the strength of laziness’ persistence,
If you can’t keep up, you’ll be left behind.
With every move we make towards survival,
Of your own breath always think first
For if you spend time in thine own denial,
From the cup of glory you shall never quench your thirst.
If you will not stand proudly for thyself,
Alone, you shall take the journey,
For your existence in and of itself
Relies on taking a stance for one’s identity.
No one can take your place at the helm
Not even for a moment’s time
If you plan to rule the realm
Take charge, and make the climb.
What will you be remembered for?
They are watching, don’t you know?
Every time you walk inside that door,
They want to see just where you go.
Every action that you take,
Defines the legacy you leave
Each decision that you make
Creates the truth from make-belive
Think twice before you see it through
Is this the way you’ll be remembered
If this is the last thing you do
If tonight your life is severed?
Live every day to its potential
Live it the best you can
Every action is consequential,
Move forward, take your stand.
We all have those days when we are certain we are at maximum capacity. When we cannot possibly take anything on top of what is already going on in our lives. Those are the days when you need to step up and give it all you’ve got. The wheels don’t take days off. You will get more on your plate no matter how hard you try not to. Instead of running from it, go with it. Make a plan. Coordinate you day in such a way that you can pull it of. We are all capable of far more than we allow ourselves to believe. We can do it. One just has to trust in themselves. No Zero Days. One step at a time, anything is possible. You just have to take that one single step, every single day.
The first step to improvement is the recognition of who what to improve. You cannot fix a problem you refuse to admit exists. It is no shame to have shortcomings, everyone has them. They are different for each person, but they are there. Each and every one of us has something they can work on. Be it the inch of belly fat, or 2.5 in chemistry, it’s there. And it wont go away on its own. However, if you stop running from them, if you admit and embrace them as your own, you can overcome them. As long as you deny their existence, they will forever haunt you. Take a step, admit the shortcoming and work towards improving them. Every day will be far more fulfilling when you are busy with improvement as opposed to sulking in stagnation. No Zero Days. Take one step towards the solution right now. Take one step tomorrow. Every step you take is one step closer to accomplishment.