This is the sign you've been waiting for

Something that’s been on my mind a lot recently (and I apologise for this being the same intro I use in every single post - I clearly enjoy wearing my thinking hat) is that we only get one chance in life. This is our one turn we get to play. We don’t get to roll the dice again, and once it’s over, it’s really over. 
This isn’t something completely new for me: for years now I’ve based my life on the philosophy that I’d much rather regret things I’ve done than things I haven’t done.
I consider myself pretty good at coming up with new projects, and I’m amazing at picking up hobbies - however I’m also a massive procrastinators, and I suck at following up. I always start a million things and finish none.

But in the past months the thoughts that 1. I’m not getting any younger and 2. once I’m gone, I’m gone, have become more and more persistent. Hence I’ve been revising my priorities, ditching a bunch of activities that were not fulfilling and focusing on fewer, more exciting projects instead. At the same time, I stopped putting off things that I’ve always wanted to do but always thought I had all the time in the world to do - because the truth is, I don't know how long I'm gonna be around for. 

So here are some new things I’ve been implementing:

• I got myself a banjo
  Surprise! I bought a banjo. I’ve been thinking about this for literally years but never picked it up because… Well, I’m not sure because of what, to be honest. Then recently I was talking to a friend and she asked me, If you woke up one morning and you could play any instrument, what would it be? And I instantly replied, The banjo. And then I asked myself, What took you so long? Just do it. And so I did.
• I’m going to take a break from basketball next season and pick up hand balance
  LOLZ I know, but why not?? I'm going to miss half of the basketball season anyway when I'm going back home, and for a while now I've been wanting to explore more into the realm of what I can do with my body other than running around. I'm curious to see how far I can stretch my limits, how strong I can get, and what it feels like to be upside down.
• I am making every day the best day
  Ok, not every day. I obviously have some average days. But - and hopefully this is the first and last time I quote Eminem - since you only get one shot, you really don't wanna miss it. I don't want an average life. I want to wake up every day and be excited about all the cool things I'm gonna do! I want to go to bed every night feeling grateful and accomplished! I want to end everything I say with an exclamation mark because I'm so freaking pumped!

I hope I didn't sound overly dramatic, but I do think it's important that we do all the things we want to do. I encourage you stop thinking that "you don't have time", or that "now is not the right moment", or "what's the point", and pick up whatever you've been putting off. What, you always wanted to learn how to knit? Sign up to a class! You are curious about how to ferment your own sauerkrauts? Get some jars and ask Google! How about that trip to Greece? Book it!

Also: stop worrying about stuff that doesn't matter. Once we're gone, we're gone, and it's up to us to decide what we want to be remembered for. Your makeup collection or designer shoes are not gonna go down in history. Let's focus less on what we look like or what other people think of us, and more on how we are going to make a difference in this world. What matters is our actions, the relationships we build, the connections we make, and what we leave behind once we are gone.
Spend more time with people who value and support you, and who make you laugh so hard your tummy hurts. Go on adventures, feel the wind in your hair and the dirt between your toes. Be kind and compassionate, don't forget your thank -yous and pleases, and ultimately don't be a dick. You will not regret it.