Don't Wait for Someday

 

One of my core beliefs is that life is made up of the lessons we learn along the way. As much as I wish it weren't true, some of the biggest lessons come through loss.

Over the years, I've lost several people, all much sooner than anyone expected. Just a few weeks ago, a colleague and friend passed away unexpectedly at only 33 years old from a heart condition. Like so many sudden losses, there wasn't an explanation that made it feel fair.

People often say, "Everything happens for a reason." I've never found comfort in that phrase because, in my experience, not everything has a reason that we can understand. Some things are simply heartbreaking. But I do believe we can choose to find meaning in what happens. We can allow loss to teach us something about how we want to live.

One lesson always rises to the surface for me: life is incredibly unpredictable.

We spend so much of our lives waiting.

Waiting for the promotion.
Waiting for the relationship.
Waiting to buy the house.
Waiting until the kids are older.
Waiting until we have more money.
Waiting until life finally slows down.

We convince ourselves that happiness is waiting somewhere in the future.

But what if it isn't?

What if happiness is already here, hidden in the ordinary moments we're too busy rushing past?

I love planning for the future. Setting goals gives me purpose and dreaming about what's ahead keeps me motivated. But I've also learned that planning for tomorrow should never prevent us from living today.

When I got the call that my friend had passed away, my team and I were in complete shock. We had just seen him two weeks earlier during a team meeting (we all work remote). We were laughing together, catching up, talking about work, and listening as he shared his plans for the future, he had a long time girlfriend that he told us he already had the ring… He was excited about what was ahead.

Then one morning, he simply didn't wake up.

It's the kind of news that stops you in your tracks.

It reminds you that none of us knows how much time we've been given. Age doesn't guarantee tomorrow. Neither does good health, kindness, or having a long list of plans. Sometimes terrible things happen to wonderful people, and there isn't an answer that makes it make sense.

Moments like these have changed the way I look at life.

They remind me not to waste energy on the little things that won't matter a year from now. They remind me to stop replaying old mistakes, stop carrying grudges, and stop allowing the past to steal today's joy.

Most of all, they remind me to spend time with the people I love.

Call your parents.

Meet your friend for coffee.

Take the trip.

Go to the concert.

Watch the sunset.

Tell people you love them while they're still here to hear it.

Laugh a little louder.

Hug a little longer.

Take the picture.

Make the memory.

So many of us live as though "someday" is guaranteed.

The truth is, someday is a hope, not a promise.

So don't wait for the perfect time to start living the life you want. Find joy in what you already have. Be present with the people who matter most. Chase your dreams, but don't forget to enjoy the life that's happening while you're chasing them.

Because in the end, it won't be the things you owned or the goals you checked off that matter most.

It will be the people you loved, the memories you created, and the moments you chose not to postpone.

Don't wait for someday.

Start living today.