So, my post is primarily inspired by some big events that happened to me at the end of 2013, and start of 2014. I’d like to write about them, and may some day. When I watched this video about the Lion Whisperer, I was able to draw parallels to one of the main things I recently learned: We need to stop living like this life is a trial and something else is coming later.

Nothing is guaranteed, except right now.

Depending on who raised you, where you live, or what you currently believe, you might have this impression that there’s more to life than…well this life you have right now. Any number of different faiths, cults, or random hypotheses all share that in common. This life, the breaths we’ve taken so far, can’t be it. Surely they can’t be it — there’s more coming later. This is just, well practice. If you fuck it up, you have all eternity to do better (or worse) and figure it out.

The thing is — the only things that anyone in any faith (or lack thereof) can guarantee you are:

Death. Globally everyone admits that everyone alive, dies. No exceptions. Right now. Statistically yes, you have many more breaths to take. But you’ll be hard pressed to find someone who will guarantee you too many more than will get you out the door. Each one you take takes a step that much closer to your only other guarantee behind door #1.

What’s the thing about the lions then?

So, lions. I was raised as a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian. It’s like a Jew except not a race trait, and they believe Jesus was the Messiah. Some people say its a cult, obviously to them they have the Truth and that’s that.

I’ve heard tons of things from a very eclectic group of friends in other Christian faiths while growing up. When Jesus is returning. Who God wants the president to be. Which faiths are cults. Which parts of the Bible are literal, which are not. Countless hours of debate and study from books all over the world and back. What they all seem to miss is that the life we have here on Earth — regardless of what they think is next — is the only one of it’s kind that we’ll ever have. And we need to not fuck it up.

I have been told, countless times about this magical ending called Heaven. Heaven is where you go after you don’t participate in the world when you die. Heaven is where the food is perfect. Heaven is where you live forever, and you can instantly fly anywhere in the billions of galaxies. Heaven is where…wait for it…

Heaven is where you get to play with lions.

You see, in Heaven everything is perfect. All the things you sacrificed on Earth to prove you were good enough you get to do in Heaven. The loved ones that you fought with and didn’t spend time with here are there, waiting to make up lost time. You can catch up and be happy for Eternity. Maybe you weren’t blessed enough on the pale blue dot to travel, so in Heaven you’ll go EVERYWHERE.

Maybe some things that really shitty people did to you threw you off course. It wasn’t fair so in the afterlife (for those of you who have Nirvana or another twist on Heaven outside a Christian faith) everything will be made right. You’ll get to experience True Joy to make up for it.

It sounds fabulous. Even to an agnostic…Don’t get me wrong — a reset button? A guaranteed happy ending? If I mess up there’s another chance? Hell yea, it sounds fabulous. And maybe it is real. Maybe you have evidence that explains it. Or a feeling, or a dream, or whatever. True or not — we’re living our lives here. Wishing we could have more and well, play with lions.

Something the guy above already did because he chose to live presently.

Live this life regardless.

My point in all this, is not to try and debunk your faith. Take away your afterlife. Make you face some “cold atheist hopeless fact that you live once and then you die and that’s the end — try not to fuck up!” This point transcends differences, origin theories, and belief.

My point is to get you to live your life. Right now.

Across (almost) every belief system, including those without belief, the fact is that we only get one life on Earth. Period. Even if there is more later by faith, works, merit, or reincarnation — you will only be here and present on this globe as you, a human, exactly one times.

Your loved ones you can spend time with you can do right now. You can let bygones be bygones. The wrongs that were done to you can be mended right now. The places you want to see, the emotions you want to experience, the changes you want to make — all of these can be done now. Right now. You can make a difference in the world. You can cherish every beat of your heart just as much as the next person. You can hold your loved ones close. You can experience life. You have a guarantee of doing that right now, but that’s all you get.

This is not a get out of jail free card. This is not a go crazy and be a shit head pass. This is not advice to only live for you. This is a request that regardless of what may (or may not) come next you should stop wasting the only thing you have. This is hopefully just a PSA: Hey man, you can live a great life here. You can be a great person. You can even play with lions — so quit waiting.

Deep breath. That felt good, yea? Don’t waste the next one friends, I can’t guarantee how many more you’ll have.

A misattributed Marcus Aurelius quote seems most fitting to end, boldly abridged:

Live a good life… If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.

Enjoy.