life is short.

this will be available as a print in my etsy shop soon...

life is short.

this is a reality. 

this reality should inform your decisions, at least in part. 

stop doing things out of obligation.

take some risks.

cut things out that don't add to your life. 

quit wasting affections on people that don't reciprocate. 

and for goodness sake, stop trying to be cool. 

through loss and change and watching the calendar pages flip by at speeds indiscernible by the human eye, i have become acutely aware of the brevity of my days. i know, i know. it sounds like i am being unnecessarily dramatic - i, too, have heard the 'what would happen to you if you die tonight' sermon at youth group, and i promise you: that is not where i am headed with this. (i will say, however, that the pithy number of our days gives reason to make spirituality a priority.) 

where i am headed pertains more to the places we expend our energy, and the risks we do and do not take. if you knew that you had a very limited amount of hours to complete your life's work, to leave a legacy, and to become the person you want to be, what would you change the way you spend your time?

here's the reality - you do have a very limited amount of hours, all things considered. 

if that is the case, then why, oh why are you still at that job you hate? what are you waiting for before planning that round the world trip? how much space in your heart is occupied by people who aren't returning your affections? whose style are you so worried about emulating that you've practically forgotten what it looks like to just do you?

it is waaaay easier said than done to kick all these preoccupations to the curb - especially the ones that we cling to because we lack the confidence or self-respect to leave them behind…but the hard work is worth it. set some precious hours aside to ask yourself what your ideal life would look like, and identify what you need to do to get there. be honest. i'd hedge bets that vital steps forward don't include spending copius amounts of time watching reruns of gilmore girls. they might include more difficult things like seeking out counselling, or dropping some commitments that fill your calendar but not your heart and soul. 

figure out what it looks like to just do you. then do that. and do it now. 

because life. is. short.