Life.

This is a word with a considerably large list of definitions. Each person has an unique idea of what life means to them.

For a scientist, it may be an organismic state characterized by capacity for metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction.

For a criminal, it could be the length of imprisonment.

For a gamer, it is a specified number of chances a player has before losing the game.

However, for most people, life is the existence of a human being or animal. It is a period between the birth and death of a living thing.

This was how I viewed life.

I am not exactly a positive person, and I never have been. I try to be, but it never really works out. I am used to living life feeling like the clouds are always covering the sun.

Because of this, I am envious of those bubbly characters that seem to never let the world push them down.

Having been through some difficult times, I find it extremely hard not to focus on the bad in this world. For a while, I did not see life as much more than a measurement of time filled with misery, heartbreak, and the occasional burst of laughter. There was a point when I wondered how anyone could be truly happy.

I would waste away in front of the clock, letting my life pass by. I let my thoughts meander until they grew into a fuzzy, green monster of negativity. As a result, I was miserable, but I didn’t know why at the time.

Now, I mourn for the people that think like this.

I know what it feels like to live every day in sorrow and to get out of bed only because you have to. It is not something I would wish upon anyone.

Unlike contrary belief, it did not take a life-threatening accident or a loved one’s death for me to realize the true meaning of life. The thing that changed that idea burning in my head was regret.

I watched as people close to me took advantage of the life they were given, while I sat in my bubble of self-pity. I regret not doing more things that made me happy.

I am mad at myself for not breaking my bubble because I will never get that time back. There are things that I won’t ever get the chance to do because of how foolish I was.

I don’t want to be a glass-half-empty type of person, and I don’t want to regret anything anymore, so I am trying to alter the way I look at life. It will take time, but it is worth it if the end result will show even the slightest bit of improvement.

Life is the sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual; it is not just a measurement of time.

Even though it sounds cliche, any day could be my last, so I want to show that I do appreciate life.

Since I am a senior and will be leaving next year anyway, I have decided to change a few things. I will be involved in more things and try stuff that I never even dreamed of.

Life is long but not long enough, so I am choosing to make the best of my time. I am going to take advantage of the wonderful gift of life I have been given.