Sing.
"A bird doesn't sing because it has the answer, it sings because it has a song"
Such a lovely and simple concept, singing simply for the sake of singing. But when I did a bit more examining, I realized that it's so much more than that. If birds refused to sing simply because they didn't have the answer, would we ever hear birdsong? It strikes me to think about what springtime would be like without that integral and magical music that accompanies the rising of the sun every morning. And it brought home to me the fact that I don't have to have all the answers to sing my song. I have a voice, and I have ideas. I have the two essential parts of a song. So why should I stop singing when I don't have the answers?
Be.
"Whatever you are, be a good one"
What a little word that is! And yet so much is contained in those two letters. What does it mean, to "be"? In my opinion, it means more than to simply exist. It means to exist in such a way that you can feel every fiber of your being vibrating with life. Hearing the little sounds around you, like crickets or rain on the windows. Seeing the things that most people overlook--the shape of a cloud, or the colors on a butterfly's wing. Feeling the coolness of a breeze on your cheek, or the soreness in your legs after a long run. Smelling the subtle difference of the evening and the middle of the day. Truly being--alive, aware, amazed.
Live.
"There are only two ways to live life. One is as if nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is"
Not just survive, but truly live. Thrive. Flourish. Bloom. Take each day as it comes and embrace it. Fill each moment with the things that make you happy and that will help you to make each day count. Leave behind you a legacy that will make everyone smile because of how happy you were able to be with life. And sometimes, it's okay to say you can't be happy that day. Sometimes you just need those bad days. And that's okay too. But live with no regrets. Regrets mean that there's something you haven't learned yet. Don't let opportunities slip through your fingers, but rather create opportunities wherever you go.
See.
"Look at everything as though you are seeing it for the first, and last, time"
Including people. See them with your ears. Listen to them. Let them talk to you, trust you, open up to you. Often you will be surprised at the things you discover, about those people, about yourself, and about the world around you. Look up at the sky while the sun is setting. Admire the colors. Watch the effortless way a hummingbird darts about. The veins in every leaf. The look that a father gives his sleeping child. Open your eyes, and look...there is beauty and wonder everywhere. Sometimes we just forget to open our eyes.
