We are not here forever.

Picture of my dad, son and I crossing the finish line of our 10km Army Race in Ottawa.

"Olga" I heard coming from the crowd as we were approaching the finish line.

My eyes met my husband's smilie eyes. "Grab him, he wants to walk with you to the finish line" as he held our son over the fence into the race.

I walked the finish line holding my five-year-old's hand, next to my almost 80-year-old father.

A memory I hope all three of us holds forever.

We are not here for ever:

This is fact that makes me nostalgic and so deeply grateful all at once.

This week, I finished reading The five Types of Wealth , and doing so has brought me back to the mindfulness teaching of impermanency. Nothing is forever.

One type of wealth, as per the book, is time. In this chapter, the author showcases several graphs, showing on average, how much time we actually spend with our parents, children, friends and spouse in our life spam.

Not surprisingly, those numbers looked way smaller than one would think. Specially, the time spent with our parents and our children. Reminded me of Buddha's famous quote;

"The trouble is you think you have time"

What are you postponing for a later time?

The fact that we are not here forever, is such a gift.

It is what makes us appreciate, cherish and enjoy the friendships, the small moments, the big moments, the vacations, the core-memory-moments, the ups, the downs, and everything in between.

When we acknowledge and live our lives knowing that we are not here forever, we feel more connected to our purpose, more thankful at every living moment, and happier.

Procrastination, leaving things for a later time is a mistake and it is costing you joy.

This is your moment to forgive, to give, to apply for the job, to say "I love you", to date, to love deeply, to have children, to travel, to spend, to change, to move, to live life as you want it, in your own terms.

There is no such as thing as a "better time" to do what you really want to do. To enjoy what you have, to go boldly for what you want. The best time is now, it always is.

I saw my dad pushed his limits yesterday during our race. I saw the man who he was (physically), not longer is. I saw the passing of time with each of his steps forward.

I felt sad to suddenly see my aging dad, and I felt gratitude to be doing this very race with my aging dad. "We get to do this", how absolutely blessed are we?

Committing to happiness:

After the race, I had tears running down my face (nothing new here, if you know me, you know I'm a cryer)-

Just thinking of the older couple, who had matching t-shirts with a picture of their son wearing his army uniform, with words that read; "Always our hero" and the date of his birth and death.

Thinking of the friends who wore inflated dinosaur customs and finished the race with the damn things on, and the crowd yelling " go t-rex, go"

Thinking of the elderly women who crossed the finish line before us, with her cane and knee brace on.

Thinking of how we were not sure, a year ago, if after my dad's severe ankle rupture he could race again, and yet, due to his discipline, good attitude and love for overcoming, there we were, crossing another 10km race.

It all for a moment felt like miracles.

Wait, there were all miracles.

We only get to be here once.

We do not know for how long.

All we know, is that we are here now.

So let me ask you, if you knew this was your last day....

• What would you no longer fear?

• What would you not postpone?

• What would be urgent?

• What would no longer be important?

Being in the present moment is a gift. I hope this short blog if nothing else, inspires you to commit to your own happiness. That's important, and urgent.

Love, Olga