In the 24/7 lives we live today, our lives often revolve around what is trending, new content, the newest Netflix show, etc. I recently watched a series called Life Sentence, not only because Netflix recommended it, but because the name captured me. And for any old Nip/Tuck fans, although Dylan Walsh has turned in his scalpel, he has aged well!

In the first five minutes you find out the main character has been cured of her cancer diagnosis and now is left to serve her life sentence of living. I loved how in the introduction she described that when she thought she was dying, she was able to embrace life and live freely, having experiences, conquering her fears, and really being present. She described the switch for her as she was told she was living, she no longer experienced the carefree mindfulness of being present in life anymore. I could relate at times to the mundanity of life, the goodbye kiss in the morning, dropping my son off at daycare, arriving at the office, making coffee, I could keep going, but I think you get the picture. The interesting part is we are all living out a life sentence and we know that our own death is unavoidable. Yes, I said it. We are going to die.

The concept made me reflect on all the big decisions I have made thus far in my life. I think about how everyone stresses the importance of employment, social engagements, education, or finances. Yet, are we planning too much? What if you don’t get to live, love, and enjoy your life in our life because we are so focused on the future? How do we make life enjoyable now? Or maybe it is a blend of planning ahead and experiencing gratitude and mindfulness in the day-to-day. I think if we begin to focus on the day-to-day pleasures, even doing one mindful thing each day, we get to experience life a little bit more and remove some of the mundanity. In a way mindfulness or gratitude can remind us of our reasons for living. So pay attention to what is going on in your life today on purpose, without judgment. Try to use all five of your senses to really experience what it is like to walk outside your door and be present. Enjoy your life sentence!