The now is ripe. Pluck it.

Perhaps you too counted down the seconds that farewell 2024 and usher in 2025. Or maybe you were too caught up in a conversation, laughing, eating, or maybe you were already sound asleep. Regardless, isn’t it interesting that many of us stay up to ungodly hours to count down the end of a year and celebrate the start of a new one?

We’re so aware of time that we have come up with many ways to always be aware of time: categorizations via days, weeks, months, years, and the calendar. We’re always in the know of time with our handy devices: clocks, wristwatches, phones, etcetera. It’s interesting that we’re so time-aware, yet most of us don’t really stop to consider how big of a deal that countdown was. Along with those last 10 seconds of 2024 went a whole year― a year that is never coming back. A year of our lives where we really struggled, felt lost, confused, scared by the state of the world, helplessly torn between this and that. Or maybe you went through a major change and made it through, proving to yourself that you do in fact have some real guts. It was also a year filled with good deeds, good progress, courage, bold action, a lucky break, heartfelt moments of appreciation and gratitude, reaching the end of the year with a sense of fulfillment; feeling proud of yourself, of your significant other, and your family.

Now, 2024 only lives in its aftermath. The memories, the pictures, the souvenirs, the people and things you let go, the new friendships made, but above all, the shell you outgrew. I mean, the person you were a year ago is (hopefully) not the same person you are now. You don’t like the exact same things, don’t agree entirely with what you used to, aren’t willing to tolerate what you once did, and in that sense, who you were in 2024 is now dead and gone. You’ve changed, and as scary as that is, it is also the most natural thing, for the only constant in life is change, as Heraclitus said.

And now, here we are. You’ve beaten death for one more year and get to wake up once more at the rise of a new year. A clean slate; a fresh start to a year filled with possibilities. The question is, are you going to seize the opportunity? Have you not realized how fleeting and brief your life is? Was it not just a little over 10 years ago that you were graduating from high school? 5 years ago, (yes, 5 years already) that we were all on the verge of a historic pandemic where many bought enough toilet paper to last until 2025 (aka RIGHT NOW)? Or 2 weeks ago that you were gathered with your loved ones for Christmas dinner? 5 days ago that you were counting down the end of another year? Time really does fly, and if you sleep on your life, you’ll sleep on the only chance you’ve got.

But I believe in an afterlife…

Even if we were to go to heaven, become a wandering spirit, reincarnate as someone else, or whatever else it may be, one thing is certain: this life you’re currently living will not repeat. You will never get to be alive again being the unique mix of who you are, with all your qualities and faults, all your experiences, born under the circumstances, family, society, and time you were born in. In other words, whether there is an afterlife or not, you’ve only got one shot at being you, so stop postponing. 2025 is guaranteed for no one. While you have the chance, seize it to become someone you’d admire. Take action on those long-postponed dreams. Waste no more time planning and telling. You have all the information you need. All that is missing is you taking action. And don’t delay, for– not out of morbidity or pessimism, but out of invigoration for life, perspective, and clarity– we’ve all got an expiration date. We could be having our very last day of life today or tomorrow, this year or in 5 years… God only knows. In any case, while you’re alive and well, carpe diem; pluck this moment as if it were a ripened fruit from a tree. Savor the now and leverage your precious time to not just exist on autopilot, but truly live. The best time to start was last year. The second best time is now.