Life is short so enjoy it while you can advises Offaly influencer

Is it just me or is time flying by? How do we make the most out of our short time here on this beautiful planet? I played a song on our local radio station Midlands Radio 103FM a long time ago from the singer Doris Day while filling in for my Dad on his great radio show, Jukebox Saturday called, "Enjoy Yourself It's Later than You Think!" and it got me thinking about how short life can be and how life can pass us by without us getting the chance to enjoy ourselves and suddenly realizing that we have missed out on so much, as the song goes, "You work and work for years and years, You're always on the go, Never take a minute off, To busy makin' dough, Some day, you say, you'll have your fun, When you're a millionaire! - But Imagine all the fun you'll have In an old rockin' chair, Enjoy yourself it's later than you think, Enjoy yourself while you're still in the pink, The years go by as quickly as a wink, Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself It's later than you think."

Only one life

Also recently I heard a motto from a priest in the confessional that has never left me. In fact, I don’t think a day goes by now that I don’t think about it. The motto goes like this: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.” Perhaps you’ve heard it before. I’d like to ponder this little motto in this week's thought for the week. The ticking clock, the greying hair, the growing children, and the changing times all remind us that our lives are really very brief. As a close friend told me several weeks ago as we were talking about making the most of our time with our young children: “The days are long but the years are short.”

Life is short. St. James, the apostle of Jesus wrote, “For what is life? It is like a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:4). Also a quote from one Shakespeare line: “Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player. That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more.” Most of our time is used for reflections on what has happened in the past and in anticipating the future. Focusing on the past or on the future keeps us from living in the present, from living the gift of the present moment that is ours to enjoy and appreciate. Since life is so short, we can choose to involve God in our time. We can show God’s grace and peace when we interact with others and encourage or bless others. We can embody eternity in our daily lives. As Victor Huge wrote in Les Miserables, “To Love another person is to see the face of God.” What we do and say in our lives will shape who we become. A story on “time” illustrating the sacrament of the present moment might help us to reflect on how we use our time.

The thousand marbles

This story is about two men Pat and Niall having a chat about their perspectives on their own priorities in life. “Well, Niall, it sure sounds like you’re busy with your job. I’m sure they pay you well but it’s a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work 60 or 70 hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter’s dance recital. “Let me tell you something Niall, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities.” And that’s when he began to explain his theory of a

“thousand marbles”.“You see,” said Pat, “I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about 75 years. Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3,900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now stick with me Niall, I’m getting to the important part. “It took me until I was 55 years old to think about all this in any detail and, by that time, I had lived through over 2,800 Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be 75, I only had about 1,000 of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in the shed next to my gear. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by

watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities right. Now let me tell you one last thing before I finish with you and take my lovely wife out for lunch. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time for one another now and then.”

Life is busy

Everyone of us is busy in today's fast paced world. In other words we are run off our feet and totally wrecked, physically and mentally and it's difficult to put others needs or wants before our own and it is difficult for us to enjoy ourselves because we are so caught up in rushing around.  But, we should, as much as possible, try to make our world a better place to care about others, especially the most weak and vulnerable in our societies. We should be aware of the difficulties some of our family, friends, neighbours, colleagues and others carry. We should try to help bear as much as we can some of their difficulties and strife. We all have needs and difficulties, little ones and big ones and we experience them almost every day no matter how rich or poor we may be! We should try and do this but also enjoy ourselves doing it.

The following Serenity prayer helps me each day in my living, "God grant me the serenity, To accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world. As it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right. If I surrender to His Will; So that I may be reasonably happy in this life. And supremely happy with Him Forever and ever in the next."  

Focus our energies

So make no mistake, there is a good even in your short life that you are designed to bring into this world. And there are people in your life that you can serve and love better than anyone else. Your highest achievement will be different from mine or from others, but we all have one. And life is long enough for us to achieve it. Unless, our lives are wasted in needless luxury and spent on no good activity. It is up to us to decide, every day, to focus our energies on those things worthy of the one life we have been given. Discard the inessential. Remove the distractions. Reject worthless activity. Your life is too short to waste accumulating material possessions, to be offended all the time, to chase accolades, to compare it to others, to waste watching seven hours of television a day, to pursue riches, to not believe in yourself, to not pray and meditate on God's word, to not forgive, to not speak your mind, to worry too much about the future, to regret the past, to live in fear, to be unhappy, to waste time on the trivial, to live like everyone else, and to not be true to yourself.

Pray always for the ability to discern the presence of God, because life is short and you're old before you know it. Life is short, so live every day as if it were your last, because someday you'll be right. Life is short, so wake up, dress up, stay alert, be prepared, light the lamps, get ready. Listen for the knock, answer the call, serve where you're sent.  Life is short, so do what you love to do and give it your best. Whether it's business or teaching or medicine, if you don't love what you're doing and can't give it your best, think seriously about getting out of it. Life is short, so recognize that today is the only day you have, eat dessert first, read good books.  Life is short, so go to church and worship, stay awake, and sing.  Life is short, so tell the truth, take care of this day, dance and enjoy it all if you can. Life is short, so listen to the people you love, tell them how much they mean to you, and visit those who are sick and unwell, especially your loved ones when in need. Life is short, so recognize that every day is a special occasion, do something interesting, have some fun, and choose to be happy. 

Life is short, so forgive often and when needed. Look past the faults of others just like you hope they will do for you.  Life is short, so surround yourself with gracious people, hug your friends, care for someone you haven't cared for. Life is short, so be courageous, take a chance, live so that when your life flashes before your eyes, you'll have plenty to watch. Life is short, so embrace the possibilities, try something new, see that every day is an opportunity, dream, but don't just dream, follow those dreams. Life is short, so breathe and think deeply, don't give your heart to that which won't fill your heart, make the changes that will make the difference. Life is short, so celebrate God's eternity, make time for the things that matter, don't leave yourself regretting things you didn't do.  Life is short, so be an evangelist, tell a friend how God's love has changed your life, be a person who talks about Jesus. Pray hard, believe in Christ with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. Celebrate the love of God, get a life, because it's later than you think and life is short.

Thought for the week

As your thought for the week, become a giver instead of a taker and I promise you that you will find comfort, contentment, and joy in your living. So, be a blessing and genuinely be a helper and a carer and a lover.  Make every day count!!! Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you. You can make your life anything you wish. Create your own life then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.

May one of your purposes in life be to help someone today and give it your all always and enjoy yourself before it's too late! Always remember that, "success is not just reaching the top, But also helping others go up! Success is not being better than the rest, But helping others be at their best! Success is not about having fame or fortune, But helping others avoid misfortune! Success is not about showing that you are superior, But helping others know that they are not inferior! Success is not about showing off your ability, But helping others enjoy stability! Success is not getting what you want at every single word, But helping others get what they cannot afford! Success is about making people smile, Helping others live a life that is worthwhile will help you to live a life of joy!

So remember life is short. Too short to waste time. Too short to hate. Too short to live with regret. Too short to give up. Too short to give in. Too short to accept defeat. Too short to spend it pursuing things that don’t last. Too short to resist, reject, or obstruct the God given destiny that you have been given. Life is short. So live well. God’s promises are eternal. God’s blessings last forever. God’s love has no end. God’s favour is boundless. God’s goodness is limitless. The life that God has in store for you is not short because God is offering you a life that will last forever. So love God, love people, and do the things that God seems to be calling you to do everyday of your life no matter how short it will be.