No Day But Today

When I was a student in Ateneo, I heard this story. Many people were asked a question. What would they do if they had 3 days to live. People said things like saying sorry to a friend or relative they have had a fight with, or telling a special someone how much they meant to them, or going to confession. And in the end, a wise-ass Jesuit priest says, I'll continue playing ping-pong. He said (in all humility) that he has lived his life the best way he believed (in accordance to his faith) that even if he were to die at that very moment, he would be ready. No last minute arrangements. No regrets.

I rather liked the wisdom in that story. It suggests that we live every minute our lives as fully as possible because there is no absolute guarantee that we will all see the sun rise the next day, or the day after that.

This of course doesn't mean that we don't have to do our work because there's no guarantee our boss, our company or even ourselves will be around the next day. I believe the idea is to be present in the moment. Not to live a life of regrets.

I can't control
My destiny
I trust my soul
My only goal is just
To be
There's only now
There's only here
Give in to love
Or live in fear
No other path
No other way
No day but today

from the song Another Day. From the musical Rent