Two days after Christmas in 2012 I witnessed a death at my mother’s house.

As strange as this may sound, I witnessed a birth at the same time.

In fact, the day I wrote this I was sitting in the same chair, and in the same room where this all took place…all within a space of ten feet.

And with it comes a very important reminder of something you most definitely know…but at the same time quite often forget about.

A large part of what this reminder is has to do with the way you live your life on a day in and day out basis.

It also has a lot to do with whether you go from where you are now to where you want to be in your life.

So what you’re about to read is not to be taken lightly in any way…

Because if you do, there is a very high probability that you may feel like your life has flashed before your eyes…

Which will leave you with many unanswered questions in your life that literally eat away at you. And as a result will lead to you having feelings of guilt and regret…

Along with saying (and thinking) things like…

“I wish I had done this differently”
“If only I didn’t do that…life would have been better and happier”
“If I could do everything all over again, I would have done _______”

…That ultimately stop you from having peace of mind and being able to enjoy life more—now and a lot more in the future.

1. My friend- From 2009-2012 I spent the Christmas and New Year’s holidays up in New Jersey visiting family. While there I stayed at my mother’s house. In addition to my brother living there she has two pets…a parakeet bird and a black rabbit.

Both are friendly animals. In fact the black rabbit likes to come over by me whenever I am there and play around at my feet.

During my visit in 2012, and just two days after Christmas, I was sitting at my computer when all of a sudden I heard at least a dozen scratching noises. I looked up and saw my mother’s black rabbit rolling over on his back while at the same time scratching at the floor.

He looked as though he was flopping around on the floor playing, while rolling over and back…

Except he wasn’t playing or flopping.

Finally he stopped…

And within two minutes he passed away…

Even though my brother did everything he could to revive “Bunny” he was gone.

The first thoughts that went through my mind were that you can be here one moment and gone the next….

Without warning. And just like “that.”

I was also thinking about how your life can just flash right before your eyes.

And even though I had witnessed what appeared to be a rabbit dying from a heart attack or some type of seizure, it still has meaning as it applies to humans.

Yes, i know we’re talking about a rabbit here but that rabbit meant as much to my mom and brother as perhaps someone (possibly a pet) who you care about and love very much.

And while I was watching him flail around on the ground during his final moments, I got a greater understanding of how much he meant to me too…because after all he is a part of the family.

But even beyond all of this I was thinking…

“How many people in the world go through their lives and never take advantage of the opportunities they have in life…

How many people go through life and realize—while they’re lying on their death bed—that they didn’t accomplish what they wanted in life.

And even more scary…

That they never took the “healthy” risks that could have changed their lives around. While at the same time ending up living with a pile of regrets along with saying…

“I wish I had done that”
“I should have done this”
“Why didn’t I do that”

…The list goes on and on.

And at the same time having it all feel like life has passed them by.

2. Freight trains and kisses- Albert Einstein once said the following, “When you’re kissing your boyfriend or girlfriend two hours can seem like two minutes, but when you’re waiting for a freight train two minutes can seem like two hours.”

We’ve all been in this type of situation in one way or another.

For example…

Think of a time when perhaps you went on a long road trip. Let’s say it was a 10 hour car ride.

If you were in the car with someone that you got along with very well and found very interesting, the conversation between the two of you could have gone on for 10 hours and it seemed like only about 15 minutes have passed.

On the flip side of that…

Think of a time when you went on a 15 minute car ride with someone you may have just gotten into a big argument with or someone you just didn’t get along with. I’d be willing to bet that 15 minute car ride seemed like ten hours.

Well this is basically the same thing Einstein is saying.

So why am I bring this up?

Because this is what helps you make each moment of your life count.

It’s also a very powerful reminder to be grateful for all of the people and events that have taken place in your life.

And remember what I said earlier as I saw my mom’s rabbit flopping around on the floor…

That you can be here one moment and gone the next.

What this comes down to is having enough “healthy urgency” so you can do something about changing your life around right now.

It can be so easy at times to say, “I’ll do it later” or “Yes I know that”…and then never get around to doing it because “something else” came up.

The bottom line is that you want to be present and make each moment count.

Whether that involves the people and events in your life or you having that “healthy urgency” in changing your life around…it’s all the same.

Because the last thing you want is to be left with those unanswered questions in your life that literally eat away at you. And leave you with a pile of guilt and regret.

So what can you do about this?

3. Remembering tomorrow- As I watched “Bunny” flop around on the floor and pass away within those two minutes, a birth had also taken place. Now you may be thinking, “well how can you have a birth while watching the death of a beautiful and innocent rabbit?”

As I was sitting in the very same chair that I wrote this from, new ideas were witnessed and birthed.

Some of these new ideas that were born are being shared with you right now.

Others are going to be used for a project I’m currently working on.

And they center around what I mentioned earlier.

Which has to do with the way you live your life on a day in and day out basis…

Along with whether you go from where you are now to where you want to be in your life.

Now think about this…

Remember what I said about Einstein earlier? Well the same thing very often happens over the course of a lifetime…you can wake up one day and realize that 50 years went by but it seemed like it was a week ago.

And so the bottom line here is…

Did you really give it your all throughout your life?
Did you do everything you could with everything you were initially given?
Did you take those “healthy risks?”

Because no matter what you do you’ll have moments of ease and moments of difficulty throughout your life…

You’ll have moments of support and moments of challenge throughout your life…

And you’ll have moments of happiness and sadness throughout your entire life as well.

Realizing this will allow you to take those “healthy risks” because whether you do or don’t you’ll get both sides anyway.

And when you really look at it…

It’s impossible for you to not achieve what you want once you realize this.

One more thing about “Bunny”…

I learned that rabbits have a lifespan between 6 and 7 yrs. Bunny was about 6 and a half. He lived a full life.

Now it’s time for you to live a full, or as I like to say, fulfilled life…

And you do that by realizing that you’re a two sided magnificent person with so much to offer the world through the uniqueness of who you are.

Thank you “Bunny.”

And thank you for being you.