We all hear this phrase from time to time. Sometimes it’s in a discussion involving someone you’re not related to or really concerned with and sometimes it is someone close.

I am dealing with this issue right now with my 15 year old dog, Jackie. She is, it seems, having more bad days than good days. So this past week I’ve had to ask myself plenty of questions about whether I’m just holding on to her (and that’s a big part of it) and how fair/unfair is it to her. The big question everyone asks me when I’m foolish enough to ask for advice, is “what’s her quality of life?” I have to tell you that I have absolutely NO idea of how you determine that in an animal that can’t talk much less how you determine it in a human being.

Before you doze off thinking this is just another doggie post, I assure you it isn’t. It’s a post to get you to look at yourself and your life.

I started thinking about this question “What’s her quality of life?” and all of a sudden I asked myself “What is my quality of life?”

And I’ll turn that right around and ask you the same thing right this minute – tell me “What’s your quality of life”.

We should ask ourselves that every day.  What is my quality of life today? And we should seek to have the best possible quality for that exact moment or day.  Why should this question only be pertinent at the end of your life when you can’t do much of anything that you used to do (even though you might have learned to enjoy other things at that point).

I want to live life to its fullest but the way to do that is NOT to wait several years and then ask how things are. The way to do that is for me to ask myself every single day – “What is the quality of my life today? AND what can I do to improve it right now?” Then I’ll take action.

Figure out a plan for yourself every single day – find a way so that at the end of the day you can say that you had the best possible day given all the circumstances. This may involve just smiling more or being interactive with someone at a grocery or even convenience store. Little things can markedly improve your own quality of life and you don’t know how much it might be improving the quality of the other person’s life – in fact, you may never know but you will know that their day is better if you smiled at that person than if you grumbled.

I think this has become more important in light of the recent Navy Yard shooting – those folks went to work like any other day – were they living for the moment or waiting for the next weekend? What about their loved ones? Were they left with not even a “I love you” or were their last moments together complete? Make the most of your time here and do it now.

Make this your morning mantra – “What is my quality of life – RIGHT THIS MOMENT?”

Terrie