There Is No Forever, But You Know What There Is?

Really.

There really is no forever.

All things come to an end.  People die, structures crumble, mountains weather, and memories fade.

And even after all of that realization, I still cannot remove the feeling of:

“Thank God!”

Thank God there’s no forever.  Thank God things change.  Thank God things don’t stay the same.

—–

I lost more than a million, maybe two in my first ventures in business.  Lost touch with quite a few people, and made a few hate me.  I had two years where I considered myself as an unemployable deadbeat.  I felt nobody wanted me, and that only drove me to hide away from the people that really cared.

And looking back, I’m thankful I didn’t get to stay that way.

That just because I made a few mistakes and stumbled along in my life, that I wouldn’t stay a failure. That there would be chances for redemption.

Even when I considered myself a failure, at my lowest points, I still got things right.  At least I could still do laundry.

Mistakes aren’t forever.  You can still make up for them, and find ways to succeed.

—–

My grandfather had very successful businesses many years ago.  He earned enough to provide for his family, grow his business, hire several of his kids, and grow his business some more, in turn providing for all the needs and wants of his family.  The company was very leading edge at the time, and the people dedicated and professional.

Fast forward decades, and the company is now struggling to make ends meet, It’s playing catch-up to faster, better, and leaner competition, in a constant struggle fro breathing room and progress.  The people still, are dedicated to the company, but how times have changed.

In the same way that mistakes are not forever, success, also, is not forever.  To stay successful, you still need to put in the effort and put out, and keep on putting out. Day in and day out.

You’ve got to keep on growing, or keep on putting in the time to at least maintain what you’ve got, if that’s what you want.  Me? I want growth.

Also, good thing that success is not forever.  It gives us young guns a chance to sneak in and topple over the old guard.  Complacency is the friend of the upstart.

—–

I’ve been blessed to have great friends over the course of my life.  And some of them, I’ve been close to at one point, but then we just gradually drifted apart.  We rarely speak anymore now.  I wonder how they’re doing?

Relationships, people, are not forever.  You’ve got to put in the effort as well to maintain and strengthen the relationship.  Even little bits over time help in keeping the connection alive.  Either that or do nothing and watch it wither away.

How about that person you just can’t seem to let go of? We all know who that is, the person you still have fond memories of.  Is that forever?

Well, you invest energy and emotions every time you play the scene back in your imagination, or relive the moments together. Or even when you fantasize about them.

That’s why the memory is still fresh, it keeps being re-lived and played over and over.

I’ve also been blessed to have people, at one point in time, have been unhealthy for me, and downright hate me.  Good thing there is no forever.  I don’t want to be stuck with them. You always have to power not to be stuck with them.  Even if you feel you don’t, you do.

—–

There really is, no forever.

Only a series of “now”s. One after another. The next one after the next one.

All we’ve got is what we can do right now to shape our lives, and change it for the better.  Time is so precious, and we run out of it so quickly, and spend our time like gazillionaires.

What are you doing with your “now”s?

—–

There’s a study that says that it only takes a week of total inactivity, a week of doing nothing, to wipe out the progress you have made through exercise.  It sounds a bit extreme, but I feel it’s very believable.  Use it or lose it.

Health is not forever.  After a certain point, it’s all downhill, and it takes effort to get stronger and healthier.

But you know what? It pays to have great health.  It gives you more time on this world, and lets you do more things, even as you age.  I want to live as long as possible using my own two feet and two hands.

Or as long as technology lets me.  Apparently, robotic limbs are going to be a thing of the future.

—–

What about love then? Isn’t love supposed to be forever? Stand the test of time?  Love! Everlasting?!

Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble, but love isn’t forever.

At least, that first feeling of love, is not forever.

I can love something today, and hate it the next day.  That’s what happened to me and rice.  I loved it, loved eating it, until I found out too much messes with my body, makes me groggy and fat.  Now, I hate it.

Well maybe not hate it, but I don’t love it anymore.

What love is, is deciding in your “now”s, to cherish, commit, and act.  Love is not a one time thing, it’s done in the moments, the “now”s that you have.

I’ve got a great girl, going on 8 years, and we’re set to be married next year.  I tell you, it’s no walk in the park, and there certainly are challenges, but we try to fill as many “now”s that we have loving ourselves, loving each other, committing to one another, staying faithful to one another, and making each other feel special.

“Keeping the love alive” never was more true.

Maybe, love can be forever.  That feeling of love can be forever.  Fill up as many “now”s as you can with that feeling, with love.

Maybe, that’s the closest we’ll get to forever, in the constant act to love in as many “now”s that we have.

No such as thing as forever, there is only now.  And now. And now.

And now.