“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” 
–Abraham Lincoln

Every day I wake up I am grateful, there are many who do not, each time I look at my daughter I am in awe of the blessings bestowed upon me, as there are many who will never know what it’s like to be a parent.  As much as I cuss about my job and pay and anything work related, I know I am being a hypocrite, because I should be grateful I have a job to complain about, co-workers to drive me nuts, many many people are not working.I know this tone is very somber, it is matching the dreary gray days we have been having in Mombasa lately.  Not the typical oh the rain? Not to worry give it an hour and the sun will shine again, no this is the all day grey sky rain falling in bits like an orchestra performing a piece, heavy and full on, then lighter, than almost stopped, then drizzle and drizzle and drizzle, well, you get the drift.  All the while the sky remains gray and laden with more and more rain to come.  However that is a blessing as well, it brings to mind Sade’s song about a Woman in Somalia in dry Somalia, searching for something to feed her family with the relentless sun beating down on her and the earth around her, am sure she would appreciate some rain.

What is this all about? Seizing the day! Understanding that no matter how bad things seem, they have been better and will be better, as long as we are willing to ride the storm. No one ever accomplished anything by not starting.  No matter how good you may be at whatever  it is you do, it means nothing if you do not take the first step and try; not just a half-hearted try, no, try as though it is the only opportunity you will have.  Grab each day, own it, make it yours and make it count! Then if you don’t have it tomorrow, at least you had it and it felt good.  We need to take opportunities when they come by, take them because there is no guarantee that they will come around again.  Take them because someone else in the world does not have those opportunities, and for whatever reason the universe is smiling at you and showing you favor.  Seize it, grab it, make it yours and be grateful that you have it.   Do the best you can with it and hope and pray for many more!

I read a blog the other day, by a blogger I follow.  This guys writing is remarkable in its simplicity and ease, whilst laden with good solid, practical advice.  In this particular piece he was talking about losers and winners and he differentiated them not on their success or failure rates, but on their attitude towards success and failure.   Anyway my reference to the “My Everyday  Power blog “(wordpress.com),and in particular reference to his post “Winners vs. Losers”  is that I agree it is all about attitude and to add to that particular post, I would hazard to say that winners seize the day, they make every opportunity count, no matter the outcome and they learn from their mistakes.

Don’t lose that opportunity to tell someone you love them, or you forgive them or say sorry to them for a transgression of yours that may have caused them pain.  Don’t walk away from a friend because of your hurt pride; take the moment to be kind to a complete stranger. Smile as often as you can to the world, smile to yourself and you will feel better inside.  Don’t forget to  look up and appreciate the way the clouds dance in the sky, look around you and appreciate the natural beauty of your surroundings;  even in a concrete jungle, replace natural with manmade but still see the beauty because it is there and there is no guarantee it will be there another time.  Carpe Diem, live every moment as though it was your last!

“May you live all the days of your life.” 
Jonathan Swift