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Live each day as if it’s the first day of your life, not your last

March 24, 2025

“Live as if this is the last day of your life.”

That idea is supposed to be inspiring, but what a sad thought it is. To live as if everything is ending, as if there’s nothing left to explore – what a limited way to see the world.

Instead, I say, live as if this is the first day of your life. Imagine the wonder we would feel!

Think of all the things you’ve done for the first time – your first taste of chocolate, your first time riding a bike, your first time seeing the ocean. These moments live inside us, wrapped in the joy of discovery. They make us smile.

But too often, we forget that new experiences are still waiting for us. We assume we’ve seen it all, done it all, and that nothing will surprise us anymore. But that’s simply not true.

Science tells us that our brains are wired for novelty. When we experience something new, our brains release dopamine, the feel-good chemical that gives us a sense of excitement and motivation.

This is why children approach the world with such energy and curiosity. This is what gives them their incredible sense of aliveness. They are constantly encountering “firsts.”

But we don’t have to lose that as we age. We can still look at the world with fresh eyes.

What if, instead of trudging through our routines, we approached each day with curiosity? What if we walked through our familiar neighborhood as if seeing it for the first time? What if we greeted the people in our lives with the same enthusiasm as we would a new friend? Old habits and familiar places could unfold into something fresh.

Living as if it’s our last day makes everything feel like a closing door. Living as if it’s our first day opens every door wide.

The world is still full of surprises. We just have to remember to see them. We don’t need to be held back by what we saw as earlier limitations.

The world will not be the only thing we experience as new. We just might experience ourselves as being brand-new too. We will be able to see a new way, have current ideas and live to the fullest we can be. Here and now.

So, go ahead – try something new, ask a new question, take a new path. The first day of your life can be today. And tomorrow. And every day after that.

The Rev. Linda McNamar is a Laguna Woods Village resident.

Orange County Register

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Live each day as if it’s the first day of your life, not your last

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