If you died today…

What would you have done differently?

If you knew that today was your last… would you have smiled at the stranger you passed instead of ignoring them? I was thinking about that today. I didn’t smile at a few people that I could have, and I’m sorry I didn’t.

If today was my last day… I would have smiled. I would have written a manual of some sort of something that could potentially help people after I’m gone. I would have skyped my family in Egypt. I would hug my mom. I would forgive someone that still needs forgiving. I would tell people that are impactful in my life that I love them. I would have responded quicker to my friends. I would have thanked my teachers. I would have taken a moment to lay in the grass and look up at the sky. I would have gotten out of bed earlier. I would have kissed someone. I would have told my friends pursuing music to follow their dreams, that I believe in them. I would have tried something that I’ve never done and gone somewhere I’ve never gone. I would have wrote down my thoughts. I would have thanked God for giving me today the minute I woke up.

All these things… I wonder if by consciously doing them each day we would be happier and more fulfilled. What would you have done differently? It’s not unheard of to think this way, but in reality we don’t know which day will be our last. I’ve always thought I would die young, but that should be nothing more than a reminder to enjoy what you have and accomplish as much as you can now. Do you want to leave a big footprint behind, or recycled carbon dioxide?

Kayleigh sent me a letter today, and inside talked about someone who likes to keep very few things — his bed on the floor, a stack of books perfectly ordered and a file cabinet. Why does the American dream have us believing we aren’t successful until we have big houses with a lot of shit inside? Big garages with even more shit inside that you never use or look at. If you died today, what would have been your wealth?

The shit you have, or the people and purposes you invested in?

Think about that.

And P.S. If you’re reading this I just want you to know I love you. You are a wonderful human being with so much potential. Don’t be afraid to live life playing offense.