What's a Life Worth Living, If You're Not Living? #Y.O.L.T

One of the greatest aspects of life, is knowing that it’s not forever. Theoretically, we only get a stab at it once. I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately, because I’ve heard recent comments that I’m a “free spirit” or I have “too much freedom,” whatever that means. I love my life, and I really like living it. And I do so unapologetically.

Sometimes I look at people’s lives like anchors in the sea. We’re too afraid to move, we’re afraid to try new foods, we’re afraid to meet new people, or we’re afraid of brand new environments. As if the anchor is toed to our ankle, we remain stagnant like a docked boat. At times we don’t even realize it, but, sometimes, we simply allow it because it seems easier, or safer. What keeps us safe keeps us sane, and what keeps us sane, keeps us alive… so we tell ourselves.

What I cannot stand the most is when someone tells me he/she doesn’t like something, when they NEVER even tried it. For why, though? One of the biggest disservices one can serve themselves is a lack of inquisition. Question everything, and TRY most things! I’ll try anything once, and if I don’t like it, or I was scared, I will do it again! I will give anything a fair shake so that I can properly form my own opinion, and analyze and recant my own experiences.

That’s where my Y.O.L.T mentality comes in. Do you remember the era of Y.O.LO.? Yes, sir. While everyone, and I mean everyone- my parents, included- uttered those four letters repeatedly for the better half of the decade, I pushed for Y.O.L.T. You only live TWICE, my guy. (Don’t look at me (this screen) like I’m crazy). Hear me out: Living once is so limited, and if you believe in eternal life, past lives, reincarnation, etc, there is a good plausibility, you may have more than one chance at this. Recollection is slim, though. (From what I’ve been told.)

When you think about the types of chances and risks you may take believing that decision will make or break this one chance on Earth… your options are kind of limited. That’s not to say that you will or won’t put your full trust in that decision; however, I felt stronger about Y.O.L.T at the time, because, albeit silly, it was thought provoking. What if we did live twice, knowingly? What would you do differently in this life, or the next (assuming you’re not in your second life now)? That’s how I look at life. Yes, I want to satiate my needs, wants, and glory now, but what about the next life? The decisions I make now are not just for now, they affect my livelihood in my life to come.

If I’m fortunate, I will be with the Big Man upstairs, but you never know. I came here to chop life, if nothing else. I was born, I lived, I breathed, and I chopped life. After all, I can’t come and kill myself.