Last Updated on March 27, 2021
Happy Halloween, everyone! Back on Friday the 13th, my sister and I went out to see the new movie Happy Death Day. (Disclaimer: this post may contain spoilers. Possibly. So read ahead at your own discretion.)
The premise of Happy Death Day is simple. The main character, a sorority girl named Tree, enters a cycle where she relives her birthday over and over again until she can figure out the identity of her killer who always seems to get to her first. She goes about her day, encounters the killer, dies, and wakes up at the start of her birthday again as if nothing ever happened. Somehow Tree is able to remember -and feel- everything from all of the previous failed attempts even though no one else can. Talk about a disturbing concept.
Happy Death Day quickly became one of my all-time favorite films. While watching the movie, I started asking myself, what if today were to become my Happy Death Day?
How would I handle myself? What, if anything, would I do differently? We’re talking about a point in life when it becomes all or nothing. If you fail, no sweat, try again. But you have to be 100% invested or your effort won’t cut it. In the movie, during one of my favorite scenes, Tree wakes up after having been killed several times over and seemingly relinquishes all of her insecurities. If you’ve watched the trailer then you already know the part where she walks around her campus totally naked because she does not care.
When you fully accept that there is no guarantee of tomorrow, it is amazing what suddenly matters and what does not.
Of course, Tree’s situation is a bit special. She’s trying not to die and she knows she can restart her day at any point if something were to go terribly wrong. Still, you can’t help but wonder, if today were my last day to live, how would I feel? Would I act differently? Do things differently? Not to be morbid but as someone who is licensed to sell life insurance, I know better than most that life is, at the end of the day, a super fragile thing. It may seem endless but in all actuality, no one knows when they are going to die. I know that may be a disturbing thing to read and for a lot of people, it is uncomfortable to even think about. But it is the truth. No one knows for certain. (That is why owning life insurance is so important!)
I know sometimes I let the small things hold me back from getting what I want. At times I feel intimidated and fear talking to certain strangers when I have nothing else to lose. I’ve experienced this first-hand with my direct sales and marketing job. The word “no” has a certain sting and sometimes it is easier to avoid asking the question than to deal with the possibility of rejection. But what if we got over that? For many people, fear of rejection holds us back from obtaining what we want. What if we were able to look beyond temporary discomfort. If today were the last day of your life, what would matter to you? Quite frankly, I wouldn’t give a damn what anyone thought about me anymore. I’d just want to live to the best of my ability.
Now my question to you is: what is holding you back? With no guarantee of tomorrow, what do you need to take care of?
Is there anyone you might distance yourself from in order to grow as an individual?
Or maybe there is someone you might open yourself up to. Have you ever wished you had the guts to say what was on your mind? To open your heart?
The good news is that today isn’t Death Day. It’s just Halloween. That’s what I think, anyway. So go get some rest because chances are, when you wake up tomorrow, it’ll be November 1st. When you wake up, first and foremost, be grateful. That is a gift of its own. Go about your day as usual but if you catch yourself doing something you might not be proud of or you think you will regret, ask yourself, “what do I have to lose?” You might not get the chance to restart your day like Tree but that doesn’t mean the little bumps can’t be fixed with the decisions you make. Give it a shot, be bold, and don’t leave for tomorrow what can be done today. Lead a life you’re proud to live.
Happy Death Day.
