No More Tomorrows

Chadwick Boseman (Marvel’s King T’Challa aka Black Panther) is dead. At 43 years old, he battled colon cancer since 2016. The cancer won today. This is something that no one saw coming.

This sudden news has been a stiff reminder for me that life is truly fleeting and no one knows when their time will come. As such, we should aim to live today as if we had no more tomorrows.

1. If I had no more tomorrows, I would regret that I spent too much time playing it safe. I would regret every opportunity for added happiness that I missed because I was afraid to take the risk and be with someone I love or tell the persons I love that I love them. I would regret that I let my perceived responsibilities and roadblocks prevent me from grabbing and living the life I wanted.
2. If I had no more tomorrows, I would regret that I cared so much about what people thought of me that it often prevented me from doing more of the things that I knew were God-approved and felt right in my soul.
3. If I had no more tomorrows, I would regret that I let my fears of being inadequate have the last say. Too many times, I didn’t dance when I wanted to. Too many times, I didn’t sing or do karaoke when I felt like it. Too many times, I didn’t chat up a stranger because I felt I had nothing interesting to say. Too many times I didn’t do the things I truly wanted to do.
4. If I had no more tomorrows, I would regret that I let paralysis analysis and my desire for perfection or certainty waste the time I had left and miss the opportunities that I should have taken.
5. If I had no more tomorrows, I would regret that I ran from many of the things that made me feel alive or forced me to face some of the things and habits that prevented me from living a wholesome life.
6. If I had no more tomorrows, I would regret that I didn’t make more time for my family and friends and spent too much time chasing my education/certifications and work successes.
7. If I had no more tomorrows, I would regret that I wasted too much time questioning God, instead of trusting the signs He gave or the manner in which He chose to speak to me.
8. If I had no more tomorrows, I would regret that I wasted time carrying grudges that I should have let go and letting my pride and hurt dictate how I should react when I felt I had been wronged.
9. If I had no more tomorrows, I would regret that I chose to sit in the corner instead of stepping out and being the light I was meant to be.
10. If I had no more tomorrows, I would regret that I didn’t finish the books I am meant to write because I got caught up with prioritizing and making room for things that are not as important in the grand scheme of things.