Inevitability is a difficult concept to come to terms with. All throughout our lives, we are taught that we are solely responsible for the choices we make, and the consequences we experience for those choices. This responsibility, although daunting, is also what makes us human. The fact that we are capable of making choices shows us that we are different from an animal or insect whose behaviour is programmed into its genetics. A wild animal would run away from a raging fire, because it is instinctual for him to do so. A human mother, on the other hand, will run into a fire to save her child. Because she is human, she is able to fight her own reflexes and instincts in order to save someone who is important to her. We are human because we can make choices that defy our own bodily instincts just for love, for hope or for kindness.
Yet, there are simply some facts that will not change regardless of what choices we make. These facts mark the inevitability of being human. All of us will die one day. All of us will experience pain one day. All of us will smile one day. All of us will win, all of us will lose. There will always be a tomorrow. These unchanging facts and our ability to understand their inevitability does not mean that our choices become less meaningful. In fact, it is quite the opposite. It means that when we make good choices even though we know some things will never change, we are more human than ever.
An unfortunate part of being young means that we have not yet had a chance to truly understand the inevitability of being human. Ideas such as wasted time, or death will only expand upon us in their entirety once we have already reached a stage where dealing with them is a direct part of our life. Until then, the choices we make are a little haphazard. We think and act in a way that we believe is right, and with not much regard as to what they will mean for us in the long run. We will never know if we have been the best version of ourselves until we have reached the end of our lives.
There is, however, quite a simple way to know if you are the best version of yourself. If you would like to find out what parts of yourself you need to change, or what areas you need to grow in, you can ask yourself a simple question. What would I do if the world was ending next week?
Imagine that the world will end next week. At this point, there is nothing anyone can do but make the best of the time they have. Will you reconnect with your family and friends? Will you travel the world? Will you channel your soul into your work to make one last discovery, invention or masterpiece? Will you change and act differently?
This scenario may have seemed suffocating. After all, one week may have felt like a useless amount of time in this situation.
The simple key to living a fulfilling life is living like the world is ending next week. Love your family and friends in the deepest way possible. Do not hold grudges. Do everything with passion and enthusiasm. Even if the world may not be ending soon, our life is slowly slipping away. The inevitability of being human is that life does not last forever.
