Reasons to be happy TODAY!

A funny thing happened the other day. I was in a pretty heated disagreement with a long time friend when he told me that "he didn't want to be friends with someone who was so happy all the time for no reason." He went on to say that, "I have no reason to be happy right now in my life." I actually thought it was kind of funny and felt bad for him because he is obviously so miserable. The girlfriend that I was with at the time said that she was proud of me for laughing it off because some people would have been devastated if someone told them they have no reason to be happy.

After thinking about it for a while, I guess from the outside, I can understand why someone would think I have no reason to be happy. In the past couple of years I've dealt with a lot of difficult things. My mom passed away after a long battle with a terminal illness, my dad died a tragic death, and I had a large sum of money (that I spent years working hard for) taken from me by someone close to me that I loved and trusted.

While these were difficult, thankfully, my mind and spirit do not let me focus on the negative. You see, someone can take away your money, but they can never take away what is inside of you that helped you earn it in the first place. No one can ever take away your will and determination. If I focused on the deception and the amount of money I lost, I would probably go crazy. Instead, I choose to focus on the exciting things that my future holds and creating ways that I can be of service to others and replace that stolen money.

Both of my parents were 57 when they died and my good friend Chuck was just 36. I'm quite sure that if any of them were to give me some advice right now , it would be to enjoy the life that I have and that every day is precious. No - every MINUTE of every day is precious! When my mom was diagnosed with 4-6 months to live, it happened to be in the height of the real estate boom. Nothing is more important than my family or friends, but I never really could find a balance between my work responsibilities and personal time (I still work on this daily.) I was able to spend a good deal of time with my mom, but if I had the chance to do it all over again, I'd give back every sale and every dollar I made during that time in exchange for spending that time with her rather than working.

Time is so valuable and I think we forget that as we get caught up in day to day life. Right after Christmas last year, my dad called me when I was with a client. I sent him to voicemail and planned on calling him later. Later never came.

It's important not to take today for granted - or anyone in your life. They may not be here tomorrow. I know it sounds a little harsh or morbid, but it's true and sometimes the only time you realize it is when it's too late.

Don't be too late in enjoying your life. Be happy today and appreciate everyone and everything around you. I have so many things to be thankful for and I will always choose to be happy and grateful for what I have in my life. Even if people think I have no reason to be! :-)