Getting the Most Out of Life

by Luke McIlwee

Every once and a while I have an insight regarding life’s purpose and how to go about pursuing it. Just the other day I was talking to my friend Alex about what we were looking forward to in our lives. Alex, like most high school seniors, is excited about college and the opportunities that it presents. More fundamentally, he is attracted to the idea of a new life, and a fresh start. This is when I came to the realization that people should never hope for completion in anything in their lives.

The idea of “looking forward to something” refers to the psychological advancement of ideas that move towards better circumstances. Most people make the error of thinking that one day it will be done. They think, "If I work hard enough, then one day I can rest." Or, "I'm only doing this now so that one day I can do what I really want with my life." The error in this thinking is the belief that eventually things will be different in some fundamental way. They won't. It never ends. As long as life continues, the creative challenge is to scuffle, play and make the best with the present. It's never going to be over, so stop waiting for the good stuff.

As of now, spend a minimum of one hour a day doing whatever you are waiting to do. Seize every moment by harnessing your self made reality and transforming it into your ideal life.