Things To Do Before It's TOO LATE
Regret.
That bitter uncomfortable feeling that haunts us at least once in our life. Caused from an action or an inaction of an event. That builds a massive guilt within us that only worsens overtime.
Like a tumour growing from within us, killing us slowly.
Second by second... Minutes... Hours... Days... Months... Years...
It is toxic.
Outwardly, we are able to fool people with the smiles that plaster across our faces, going about our daily routine.
However, only we know deep inside, the guilt that we are harbouring is growing, spreading and expanding, seeking an exit.
As we go about our adulting life, we put forth the mundane tasks. Prioritising it above almost everything else which includes our friends and family. Seconds go by continuously adding up to minutes which can never be regained back.
We procrastinate many things. Putting them off for another day or time because there's always another day until one day. That day. Where one thing changes and we regret not doing what we had put off.
In this post, I will be writing about simple things that one should do before it's too late.
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1. APOLOGISE
"I'm sorry", are just two simple words. Two simple words that shouldn't take more than 2 seconds to utter its complete form.
As a child, we were all taught how to apologise because it is polite. We were taught to apologise even for the silliest misdemeanour.
Even as we learn a new language, we still learn the word "I'm sorry".
However, as we progress into our teenaging or adulting life, we rarely do it because we know that we are not in the wrong. Our pride and egoistical nature consume us.
Even the simplest misdemeanour, we quite apologising and instead proceed to blame the other individual, thing or party.
Just those two simple words that was not uttered.
It is the peacemaker of any conflict or disagreement. Conflicts or disagreements which span for months and sometimes years.
By that time, it would be even harder to approach the other person with both parties giving each other the cold shoulder.
Apologise because being egoistical does not benefit much even in terms of reputation.
Apologise because relationships are more worth saving than pride.
Apologise before it's too late.
2. Give THANKS
It never hurts to show a little appreciation and gratitude.
Give thanks for the simple things. Give thanks even if you think that the meaning itself has become redundant. Give thanks for the people who have been there to give you emotional or financial support when you badly needed one.
I'm not sure about you but I love it when I see smiles plastered across people's faces. The fact that I even caused it, even if it's just for a while, warms me.
Thus, give thanks. At least, it portrays that you don't take things for granted.
3. CALLING your loved-ones
You may be living far from your loved-ones, be it your family or friends.
Contacting them may be hard perhaps due to the overloading of work, studies or perhaps you are in an area that is out of cell range or you are not permitted given your situation.
But seriously, given the circumstances, we are in the 21st century and everyone is just a call or a text away.
Modernisation has granted us the benefits of video calling others through various social media applications such as Skype, FaceTime and Messenger, just to name a few.
Make time even if you just want to be left alone. Even if it's just for a few minutes. Calling your loved ones actually shows that you are putting an effort to show that you care, even if you don't verbalise it or show it in a different way.
A simple phone call, shows that you have not forgotten them.
Which brings me to my next point...
4. VISITING your loved-ones
Sometimes, nothing beats the very presence of a loved one physically being there for the ones they love.
Now, for some of you, visiting them may be a common thing, something that you have always done. However, once they are gone, it will be something that you wished you had done more.
There was a man. He had been a family friend and was one of my dad's closest friend who had known my dad since his youth.
He had been battling with diabetes and kidney failure for a really long time before he lost the battle. I remembered those days when my dad would call up his friend only to find him at the dialysis centre.
He was a Muslim and growing up in Malaysia, Eid Mubarak (or rather Hari Raya) is one of the most joyous time of the year given that majority of the Malaysian population are Muslims. The celebration would span for a month and there would be open houses with a variety of traditional Malay dishes.
Growing up, I recall following my parents to visit their Muslim friends. I had only been to my dad's friend's house once but every year without fail, he would extend his invitation towards my family. However, only my dad would go as I would choose to stay behind.
There was one year, I remembered asking my dad why we did not visit his friend. My dad said that he would go that afternoon.
That following afternoon, I chose to follow my mom instead of my dad as I took it for granted that I would see him next time.
But that never happened. My dad went and when he came home that day, he told me that his friend full of joy even when we knew he was suffering and he did asked for me.
Not too long after that, which was after a few days, we received the news of his death.
Till this day, I regretted not visiting him on that day. A few hours or a day spent with them never hurts.
Visit your loved-ones soon before it's too late.
5. FORGIVE
Forgiveness.
It is without a doubt, easier said than done.
Forgiveness.
It is not a word that can be said just like that. One would have to mean it and let go fully.
Mistakes. Not one soul that I know of passes through life without at least committing a mistake be it intentional or unintentional.
The level of furiousness differs from each person to the next. However, at the end of the day, the key to peace is having to let go and to forgive.
A few years ago, I bought a book from a secondhand bookstore. This book was recently released as a movie, earlier this year. It is entitled "The Shack" and I recalled reading the part where "Mack" finally forgives the murderer and "Papa" mentioned that "forgiveness does not happen once, you will have to do it many times until you fully forgive"
Personally, I have never experience such extent of grief. But experience has taught me that it is better to forgive and let go than to harbour grief because that is where peace finds us.
6. Saying "I Love You"
What is Love? Define Love.
As a human being, we are capable of complex emotions. The emotion we feel for our family, our loved ones and our friends. Be it platonic or not, we aren't lacking in that capability to love.
We love them and they do too. Although, we may not verbalise it.
Love is an emotion that is felt and sometimes, we just want it to be justified verbally.
Go to those people whom you trust and are close with. Call them up or even text them. Tell them that you love them.
Those three simple words might've just brightened and added meaning if not purpose to their lives.
Do it before it's too late. You might not know when you might not be able to say it or when they might not be able to hear it from you anymore.
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The title of this article is "Things To Do Before It's Too Late". The message that I am trying to convey here is that these simple actions or words may seem irrelevant at the moment.
But it's when we do lose someone, that we realise that it's simple things like these that we regret not doing.
"Make sure the important people in your life know how important they are before it's too late."
Over and out~ :)
🤘🏼🤘🏼
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