Earlier tonight, on my way to see a friend, I passed a guy in the dark. From the corner of my eye, he seemed threatening for a slight second. If you don’t know me, you should know that my imagination runs WILD. In that moment, I imagined an alternate circumstance where this very scenario turned out to be an actual threat, leading to a tragic death by stabbing. Of course this was irrational, but that’s what imagination is right?

Anyway, this lead me to ask myself “if I were to be killed this very instant, would I be happy with the life I’ve lived thus far?”.

Honestly, let’s just acknowledge, it would SUCK. There’s so much of the world I would’ve wanted to see, learn and experience. So much I would’ve wanted to do with my life. However, at the same time, I can say that I’m happy with the life I’ve lived.

If I were to die tonight, I would be happy with who I am, what I’ve done with my life and how I treated people.

In the last two years alone, I worked hard to become someone that I can be proud of. I can finally say that I’ve become authentic to myself. I’ve poured every ounce of my being into everything that I did, and I have no regrets. I’ve been hurt and made mistakes, but I’ve also grown a lot by facing myself.

I’m proud for not giving up. It wasn’t easy. There were moments of despair I really struggled to pull myself up, but I did and here I am. Through it all, I strived to be a positive force wherever I was to be the change I wanted to see in my life, and I can proudly say I’ve accomplished just that.

I’ve pushed myself to create a life that I love. To have an apartment that I love, to build amazing relationships with friends, coworkers and family. I’ve completely transformed my life beyond my imagination. A part of me didn’t believe that I could actualize this for another five years or so. But here we are.

Just 6 months ago I was battling my lifelong depression with an unshakable sense of loneliness and need for validation. I’ve transformed that completely and now become someone grounded in who I am without validation from anyone or anything. I learned to love and accept my self for who I am, even as a work in progress. In turn, it has taught me to love and accept everyone around me for who they are. This developed into a community full of honest, genuine, empowering friends and I couldn’t be more thankful.

I think it’s important to reflect on your life and ask yourself “If I were to die tonight, would I be happy with who I am, what I’ve done and how I treated people? Would I be happy with my life?”. It may be morbid, but it’s life.

Did you give it your all? Did you love enough? Do you have any regrets or relationships you wish to improve? What would you change? Would you be proud of who you are?

If you feel like something is missing, it’s ok! It’s not too late. Every single moment we have is a new chance to start again. From this moment forward is what matters. It doesn’t matter what you did or did not do. The great thing is, you’re alive right now. It’s a matter of what you do this very moment to make a cause for change in your life.

If you’re not happy about something in your life, do something about it. Take action. Take the first step. Even if it may seem like a huge mountain of obstacles, it takes taking that first step. Even if you’re not sure if that step is the right step, take it anyway. You don’t know which way your life will move but you have to keep pressing forward and create a life that you love in the process.

Steve Jobs said “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

Enjoy the journey, the growth, and the changes.

Allow yourself to make mistakes.

Give everything your 100%. Give your 100% at work. Give your 100% on your passion projects. Give your 100% when you sleep. Don’t ever half ass anything.

Be a person you can be proud of with integrity and respect. Love and accept all people by starting with yourself. Only look back to reflect on how far you’ve come. Stay true to who yourself.

Live fearlessly and confidently.

If I died tonight...

Stay True To Who You Are

Love Yourself