SAVOR LIFE NOW: SAVE THE BEST FOR FIRST NOT LAST, says Susan McKenzie

AGE-OLD ASIAN STORY
There is a frequently told story with a moral that serves to shock us to rethink our priorities.
An old man was on his deathbed when suddenly he was overwhelmed by the enticing aromas of cookies punctuating the air. Frail, and oh so ill, he managed to pull himself up and stumble down the stairs where his wife was cooking the sweetest-smelling cookies. On the table, he saw his favorite cookies. Was this is a dream? Was this heaven? Or was this one last act of love by his devoted wife? Whatever it was, he was going to enjoy a cookie. As he stretched out his hand to take one, his wife hit him with a serving spoon. She screamed: These are not for you! They are for the guests at your funeral!
The moral of the story for the husband: enjoy life more when you are well.
The moral of the story for the wife: enjoy the time you have with your husband. Sometimes we plan too much for the future, we overlook that we should be enjoying the now.

IT’S YOUR FUNERAL
Think about this: at your funeral you won’t be able to smell the roses and other flowers or enjoy the delectable cuisine on offer. And the sweet words said about you – will never reach your ears. And this funeral may be paid for with your hard-ea
ed earnings and savings as well. Thus this story is a reminder that we can’t take our material possessions with us when we go, but are we making the best use of what we have now?

USE IT OR LOSE IT
Are you a hoarder? Have a look around your home – is there just too much clutter and possessions that you have acquired and never use or rarely use? What do you think will happen to these things after your death? What is in your wardrobe that you are saving for special occasions but in reality you probably will never wear again?

GET INTO THE NOW
The best time of life is not the past nor the future but is now. Yes right now today. So have a relook at your life, your possessions and your relationships and consider how you can bring more of these into the now. Get wearing those so called-special clothes and send out more appreciative signals to your loved ones.

MAKE IT A POINT
When people are kind to you, make it a point to tell them that you appreciate them. If you love someone, make sure you show it in your actions, thoughts and deeds. When you care for people, now is the time to tell them. Never go through life having regrets that you did not tell the person you loved that you loved them. It is better to love too much than not enough.

BLESS YOU WITH THE ABIILITY TO LIVE IN THE NOW
B: Be in the now more. Saving for a rainy day may have some merit but don’t take it to such an extreme you miss the beauty of the now. Balance is the key word to achieving a better life. Be in balance as much as possible.
L: Look at yourself and your life and determine to make better use of what you have.
E: Energize your relationships by showing more appreciation for the ones that you love.
S: Say to yourself: I will live in the here and now more. I will appreciate more, I will love more.
S: Saving for a rainy day is good, but balance living in the here and now with this laudable aim.

Y: You never want to regret, so love more and use more all the possessions you have.
O: Organize your life better so that you can enjoy the here and now more.
U: Use it or lose it applies to everything in life. Use your possessions well and appreciate all your loved ones and let them know it.