When all is said and done, it comes down to one reality.

We are here. And then, we are not.

Many people spend the entirety of their lives fearing the idea of death, terrified that they will not achieve all that they believe themselves capable of in the short amount of time that they are delegated. We are weighed down by the pressure that we place upon ourselves to succeed on a superficial level and we are burdened with the expectations of others placed upon us also.

We go through life searching for approval, for success, for instant gratification. We are constantly seeking recognition, praise, acceptance and meaning.

And then it is over. 

I wanted to write this post as a reminder of the fleeting nature of life. And not just your own.

You are surrounded by so many beautiful, intelligent, inspirational people. And yet, there is a great chance that these people will enter and leave your life without you truly appreciating everything that they offer until they are gone.

But I write this, as an open letter to anyone who may be reading, as a reminder to wake up tomorrow morning and thank whoever may be watching over you for the people in your life. If you are anything like me, you may find it difficult to simply remind a person outwardly of how much you love them. If this is the case, I want you to do me a favour. Show them how much you love them by living your life in a way that suggests that you are beyond caring about the superficialities of life. Live in a selfless, accepting way - and in this way, you will be far more open to giving and receiving a certain kind of love -  the love that overrules the appeal of any amount of approval gained or acceptance granted. If you truly want to achieve something in your life, you need to trust that it will fall into place if it is meant to be. Don't waste your energy on placing unnecessary pressure on yourself, when you could be delegating that energy to reminding yourself and those around you, of how much you love them. 

I promise you. Life will come and go before you know it. You will grow, you will change, and you will meet so many incredible people who will make you into an even more beautiful person than you already are - all in the blink of an eye.

You will travel to amazing places, you will do amazing things, and you will learn to appreciate how much of a gift life can be if you allow yourself to see past the superficial surface. This may require neglecting the influence of social norms and settling for less than what you believe yourself capable of at times, in order to truly understand that things will fall apart so better things can fall together.

In return, I want you to promise me that you will learn to trust in yourself and your abilities to achieve anything you feel compelled to achieve. I want you to promise me, that you will wake up tomorrow and remind yourself that we only get one shot to live this life. To be who you are, and share that person with those you love.

Promise me, that you will wake up tomorrow- and live.

Everything else will fall into place, I promise you.

Put everything behind you - every stress, every concern, every inhibition, every held grudge, every aspect of your life that distracts you from taking a step back to see you life for what it is.

Because we are here, and then we are not.

Let go.

Live.