"The more often we see the things around us -- even the beautiful and wonderful things -- the more they become invisible to us. That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world: the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds -- even those we love. Because we see things so often, we see them less and less." - Joseph B. Wirthlin

In a culture where social media, selfies, and Starbucks are integral parts of daily life, we are so focused on the endless debates about rights that we believe we are entitled to as we fight for so-called equality and our own issues or responsibilities that we selfishly complain about. While people throughout the world are suffering or dying, we sometimes forget how lucky we are, and most of all forget that life is short. Death is imminent and irreversible. We forget this. We've become too comfy and coddled to care. We take things for granted, whether it's the rights we have, things we enjoy, or people we love. We get lost in all the captivating things the world has to offer and lose focus of what's important.

We become distracted by the Netflix.

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We become obsessed with how many likes we got on that one picture on Instagram.

We become overwhelmed by the stress that comes with school or work.

We become influenced by things that go against what we believe and know is right just so we can fit in.

We become perturbed by poisonous friendships, relationships, or people.

We become sensitive and allow what others say to affect us or are stubborn and believe that our way is the only way as we fight for rights while taking them away from others.

We become compliant with the negative moments in life that we wish would just end or be forgotten by complaining about them or allowing them to define us.

We need to truly enjoy life, remember not to waste our time on meaningless things, reach out to make an impact, and spend more time with our loved ones. We can't let ourselves be too caught up in life to forget to even appreciate it.

Make every moment count.

Apologize when you need to, don't be stubborn or prideful; apologies are the first step to recovery and healing.

Be thankful for everything, don't forget there are people who don't have the blessings you have and how incredibly lucky you are.

Appreciate the beauty of life and the people around you, especially those who are with you through every trial you've faced.

Take time away from technology to really enjoy life; we can become too distracted by our phones and forget to spend actual face-to-face time with the important people in our lives.

Make an impact and a difference in society and touch someone's life by doing something selfless for someone else.

Fight for what you believe in without actually fighting about it; fighting doesn't solve anything and only makes matters worse.

Keep in touch with old friends, create new friendships even with people you wouldn't normally hang out with, and reach out to those who are ill or going through a rough patch to let the know you're thinking of them and that you care.

Utilize the mistakes or bad moments and use them as a lesson and motivation to become a kinder, stronger, and wiser person.

You or a loved one could be alive and well one moment and then near death in the next. And then suddenly, gone.

I'm not saying this to make you sad or ruin your day. Really. However, just recently I was reminded of how precious life is when someone special was taken from this earth not too long ago. This opened my eyes once again and gave me a fresh perspective of life. Though I am saddened that the wonderful soul I previously mentioned is now gone, I know that that friend did not take life for granted and lived life to its fullest as he blessed the lives of those around him. He did not die in vain. His memory will live with us forever and the impact he made on those around him is invaluable. And now he is in a better place.

Therefore, I just want to encourage and challenge you to live your life with an open mind and heart and see life through a different lens. Live your life in such a way that at the end of your days you can look back and know that you didn't waste it. Then, you will have appreciated everything you had, everyone you knew, and lived your life with love and purpose.

Take nothing for granted.

Make every moment count.