Just Breathe

“Our lives can change with every breath we take.” From the movie, Where the Heart Is.

This phrase comes to my mind often. The verb change carries with it so much power, so much mystery and most of all, so much truth. How many of us have said “one minute he was fine, and the next minute, he was dead;” or something to the effect of “yesterday she was unknown, now she is famous.”

We are all just one breath away from some kind of change. Our body changes, our thoughts change, our emotions change with every single breath we take. This provocative thought puts a time-line on our actions and teaches us that life is not about change. Life is change.

Like the movie, we need to embrace change. Looking back to yesterday’s events is a waste of energy. How about tomorrow? Tomorrow isn’t here yet. Those breaths of tomorrow will be inhaled and exhaled when tomorrow comes.

How awesome is this? I am not the same person I was a breath ago. My breathing just naturally happens and with every new breath I take. I can breathe deeply and exhale any poisonous thoughts, negativity and allow new dreams and hopes that will await me when I draw my next breath. n n You are probably thinking, what about tragedy? What if my next breath presents tragedy, sadness or disappointment? My answer: You can’t breathe ahead of time; you have to breathe tomorrow’s breath tomorrow. You will get to tomorrow by breathing today, one breath at a time.

Everyone is trying to predict if and when our economy will be healthy again or global warming events. Even the best meteorologist is not always right about weather predictions. So while we are waiting for answers, let us just enjoy each breath we take. Let us make every breath we take be fresh, deliberate and unwavering.

How many more breaths do I have? Not one of us knows how many breaths we have left before we die, but “Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it’s the moments that take your breath away.” (from the movie, Hitch)