This week I got some really sad news, my friend's wife died suddenly of a brain anuresym. One day she was here and vibrant and in an instant there was a different story to tell. This made me remember how my mother reacted to the news of someone's death.  She'd always say, "That's why you have to live for today."  That's a great sentiment but how often do we any of us live into that idea? I'd say, not often enough.

News of a accident, sudden illness or death gives us momentary pause when they don't impact us directly. We do a quick inventory of our lives and vow to do better but rather quickly we're back in our regular routines. But when the issues strike closer, lives can be forever altered—impacting how we live, breathe and act. In addition, to shock, anger and grief there's also self-examination (sometimes extreme self-examination). But turning those findings into actionable ideas may take more energy than you've got  in such a challenging time.

So how does one live for today?

We start by not waiting for something bad to happen to spur us into action. And we commit to this as part of our daily lives. Here are four questions that can start you on your way:

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Do I know what really matters to me?

Do I know what brings me joy?

Are there things in my life that need to go to make room for what's important?

What am I waiting for?

I start with these questions because you need to know what matters at your core in order to have a more fulfilling life. What makes you happy? What makes you uncomfortable or even angry? Although we can't avoid some of the mundane tasks in life we can couple them with things that bring us joy.

You also need to identify the people, places and things that drain you emotionally, spiritually and physically. If you can't eliminate them entirely from your life you need to find ways to minimize your exposure to them and their impact on your life.

Honestly access your wants, needs and aspirations. Do you have a dream that has gone unfulfilled? Why? If the answer is you're waiting for such and such to happen, now is the time to stop waiting and take action. Then you can banish woulda, coulda, shoulda from your vocabulary. 

Finally, remember that each day is a gift (yes even if your stuck in traffic, the baby is crying, or you've burnt tonight's dinner) and your life can change in an instant.

Life, Death (& Bubbles) by Discostu from Flickr