What if you knew tomorrow would never come? Really truly. This is it. This is your life. No more rainy day snuggles, favorite treats, hot showers, moments of pure bliss, sand between your toes, soft grass beneath your feet, sun shining down warming your body just right, deep belly laughs that make your stomach hurt.

Knowing today will have your last kiss, watching your kids play for the last time, your last moments of being lost in thought, hearing your favorite song, wearing your favorite dress one last time. Heck, even breaking out the fancy dishes, perhaps today not caring about cleaning up the mess and giving your attention to the people you’re with. Looking in their eyes as they talk.

The last time you look in the mirror, though this time you’d look yourself in the eyes. Deeply. Truly. Seeing your soul. The depth of who you are.

How do you feel? Besides totally bummed because there are so many more tacos to eat. When you reflect on your life, are you feeling really fulfilled? You could practically teach classes on how to actually live your best life? To go to bed with your last thought on love and being thankful for your life only to open your eyes to the continuation of your grateful thought? Or do you panic wondering where all the time has gone?

We know where the time has gone. It was given to tomorrow.

I mean we can all take pretty awesome pictures of moments that felt fantastic and share epic stories of times gone by, but are you feeling fulfilled in the space between regardless of the likes or compliments given? Whether the moment was shared or a gift for just you to receive?

See the thing is, even if we don’t want to admit it, we keep putting things off. Tomorrow, I’ll start ______. When my body looks like _______ I’ll start dancing, surfing, wearing the clothes I want and fill in the blank with anything else. When I’m more successful or have the perfect job, I’ll finally be proud of myself. When my bank account has this number, I’ll finally be happy. If I can reverse time with enough anti-aging creams, I’ll be more loved again. I’ll feel beautiful and perhaps even sexy.

Why are we waiting to love ourselves deeper? Why is tomorrow so tempting when we have today lingering in our fingers?

Why do we need to be in a romantic relationship to feel special or have more value? Or have thousands of followers to feel successful? How come it’s so easy to forget that we’re always priceless? That our souls are more precious than diamonds and need to be nurtured with gentle and loving hands?

Tell me why it’s so much easier to believe the haters than the people who see our beauty and good? And why does promising tomorrow feel so safe when it is the stealer of dreams?

The truth about waiting for tomorrow is that we keep using it as an excuse to embrace ourselves today. Right now. In this moment. Flaws and all. And realize at this moment we are extremely snuggable, lovable, goals are achievable and bucket lists are completable.

Did you even get to know who you are? Did you get to just be you? Embracing all of you, the jokes that only you find funny, the way you tell a story, what brings tears to your eyes and tightness to your chest? The experiences you keep circling back to in your daydreams. Did you make time to get to those?

It’s so tempting to wait until the “perfect” moment to do something, to begin something, to stop something. And really we all know that perfect moment won’t ever come so if we stay in the land of tomorrow, we don’t ever have to confront our fears, our shame, the self-doubt record we have on repeat. We won’t have to risk pain, vulnerability. When really living is in experiencing all the moments and our emotions, the ones that lift us up and bring us to our knees.

It’s hard to remember that when we positively influence one life, that effect ripples out far and wide and we’ll never see the tree that grows from the seed we planted. And at times this can feel sad because recognition and positive feedback feel fantastic. And without it we begin to question or value.  What would happen if we impacted our own life with such love and devotion? If we planted that same seed in our own self and nourished it? What would we see and experience? And why is that not enough? Can it be? I think it can.

So if you knew for certain this was your last day, how would you live? Not in a reckless way, but in the way you have been holding back? Would you laugh harder, find that joy flows into your heart more, dance, go see that place, wear that outfit, claim your beauty, own your heart, be proud of who you are, be kinder and more patient realizing life doesn’t need to be so serious all the time? We really do all get out in the end. Would you spend more time with the people who occupy your thoughts? I mean, really be there with them?

Would you free yourself of the invisible cage you’ve placed yourself in? Let confidence grow in you? Believe the people who see the good in you and push away the hate and doubt? Make time to get to know you? Heal the wounds that are preventing you from loving fully? Would you take time to forgive yourself for how you’ve treated you and for not believing in yourself? What would you say as you looked into your eyes?

We need to stop waiting on tomorrow and start living today. We need to love ourselves through it and build ourselves up and cheer on who we are. Because no matter what we hope tomorrow will bring, we have the power to start living that today. To love ourselves today. This moment is for you.

To be who you are. Today.

 

Sending so much love and positivity your way, Steph