This happened in a local Church, I can't remember the exact date it happened, but the impact it had on me has been carved in my heart. This isn't actually something 'spiritual' or in the nature of 'faith' or 'God-related', but rather an idea, or more simply, a thought that had me off guard and well, sort of changed my outlook in life.
So the story goes:
My family and I were in Church, celebrating the Holy Eucharist; nothing unusual, nothing new. What caught my attention was when during the singing of the song welcoming the Gospel (I don't know what they are actually called), I noticed that the old woman in front of me was singing on the top of her lungs and after a while, was coughing and had difficulty breathing- enough that she had to sit through the Mass.
Yeah, I know, the story was a bit dull and uninteresting, and in normal viewpoint, it really is. But that is the beauty of it; you never know which events in our life would actually make a difference, and which people would actually inspire us and change us, and make us who we are now.
In a religious standing, what I have realized is that when I grow old, and all the normal physiological processes degrades my body- the same as that of the old lady's in the Church, I won't be able to praise and serve God as well and as able as I can now. In my present age and condition, I am able to do all in my powers to sing songs of praise to God, proclaiming my faith as a Christian and a Catholic; therefore I should (how redundant, but true).
Now, to deeper stuff; looking at what I have realized, I began to analyze and break down my thoughts, and apply it to life in general. I realized, like being able to sing songs of praise, the condition I am in now is the prime time that I can do the things that I want, while I am still ABLE to. I thought to myself that I really should not wait for the time when I am not capable of doing things I can do now.. which means, I should sing when I want to, be somewhere where I want to be, naturally just DO THE THINGS I WANT TO, because one day, it will be TOO LATE, to the point that I CAN'T anymore. One day, I will be like that old lady; no longer able to sing to her heart's content, and I don't know if it was already too late for her or not, but I don't want to end up REGRETTING; wanting to have done things that I wanted to do, wishing that I have made my dreams come true.
However, this is NOT easily true. Take, for example, my voice; before I had my encounter with this old lady, I already started singing with all my voice in Church- until one fateful day that I caught my cousin laughing at my singing, and naturally I was embarrassed, and started to think not sing that loudly in Church in any longer.
The same thing with everything else; somebody will eventually laugh at the things we are passionate about, some would get irritated or mad for the things we do and the decisions that we eventually make. This is the number one hindrance to this thought, and this is the MOST IMPORTANT thing to remember about this endeavor; one day, when we do decide "the hell with it, I'm doing this" and are met with criticisms and bombarded by the negative, when we are told what we are doing is irrational or illogical and/or downright stupid, we will EVENTUALLY fold, and listen, and consider them, we'd think the same way, and begin to wonder "why am I doing this?" I do hope that your answer will be "THIS IS WHAT I WANT"; whatever you are doing.. that is "WHAT YOU WANT", no negative thoughts, nor criticisms should stop you, because if you allow anyone else but yourself to make the DECISIONS for you, REGRET will surely follow.
