College English Assignment

As stated in past posts, I am taking a college English class. This semester is based on original compositions. One part of the semester grade is for a journaling project that we are to write about the book Live Like You Were Dying by Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman. The book also inspired the song sang by Tim McGraw.
When I first got a look at the journaling project I thought of that song; it’s one of my favorites. I had a lot of emotions as Ms. Muehlberg read through the different topics from the book. Ms. Muehlberg is my favorite teacher, mostly because she doesn’t just teach, she cares and inspires. Her assignments are not just assignments from the classroom but from life.
For me journaling is something that takes a long time to sit down and do because once I start writing about how something makes me feel, I tend to not stop for quite a while.
I don’t know why but I thought I would put the topics on here to share with you. They aren’t things that make you stop in your tracks, but they do make your mind work a little.

1. “Live like you were dying.” What does this mean to you?
2. “We’re all terminal. Some of us are just lucky enough to know it.”
3. “You have big, beautiful dreams that you keep tucked away. You think so many things stand in your way of finding those dreams, those hopes, those wishes…of finding the YOU that you desire. You think it’s too soon, it’s too late, it’s too hard, it’s too crazy… But all of that is about to change. The greatest journey begins with a single step.”
4. “Go! Just GO! Right, left, wrong, right—Go! No stopping and looking back. No what-ifs. Just GO! This is something new. There are no wrong moves—you’ll learn from everything. There are no mistakes except inaction. GO! You’re scared to do this? I’m scared you won’t do it. Go, even if it’s in the completely wrong direction at first. Say your prayers and Go!”
5. “At some point we all start to realize that the fabulous life and fabulous friends we had always thought we were going to have were not going to happen, and we just have to make do with the incredibly odd assortment we have been given. So the only thing to do is start treating your life and your friends and your time together…well, fabulously.”
6. “Too many STOP sings. Maybe that’s the problem. There are just too many stop signs in this world. Every road you go down, just when you’re about to get somewhere… there’s another stop sign.
It’s a metaphor of our lives that every road has stop signs all over it. It’s no wonder so many people feel as if they will never get to their dreams. It’s no wonder so many people don’t even bother to begin the chase. They know there will be so many stop signs.
7. “Hey, would you do me a favor? JUST LET IT GO.
I know how long you’ve carried it around and how heavy it is. JUST LET IT GO.
Deep down, you know it was just one of those things. JUST LET IT GO.
You’ve had it so long, it’s hard to imagine life without it. JUST LET IT GO.
You know we weren’t made to hang on to it. JUST LET IT GO.
Right now. This moment. You’ve waited long enough. JUST LET IT GO.
And then you can give the forgiveness you’ve been denying. Oh, yeah, just one more thing… Forgive yourself.”
8. “Do something that makes your heart beat faster every day. Give the dog a bite of yours sandwich. Play air guitar—rock ‘n’ roll air guitar. If it’s short, let it grow… You can always cut it. If it’s long, cut it…You can always let it grow. Don’t underestimate the power of a crayon. Wear pajamas out for the evening. Top down. Radio up. Laughing friends. Laugh until you cry. And vice versa.”
9. “Like tomorrow is a GIFT, and you’ve got eternity to think, What did I do with it? What did I do with it? May we live like we were dying. With passion and purpose and mission and meaning… and with a little wild abandon. With no forgiveness withheld and no anger held within.
May we live like we were dying. With a heart full of memories, precious and true, like a Bible that we can open anywhere and find ourselves and faith. With friends and family and hugs and laughter and singing and praying and crying and holding hands and saying all the sappy stuff. Then and only then.. May we die like we were living.”

It’s really late right now and I’m exhausted from being in school all day and then going back tonight. I will write some more by this weekend I’m sure. I hope everybody is sleeping well and having sweet dreams as I write this. Night.