Silly question. Can you remember anything before you’re born?

I couldn’t remember anything either. They told me I was born in 1989. But what happened to me before that? Where am I? What did the world look like at that time?

Even more frustrating, I couldn’t remember most of the things that happened to me when I was just a kid. Maybe I have some memories, but I couldn’t pinpoint the exact timeline. Memories are quite fuzzy.

I have one unforgettable memory, though. I figured it was in 1994.

We’re running in the middle of a heavy rain. I was barefoot, crying and shouting, chasing my mother and two sisters. It was dark… foggy.

We arrived at my grandma’s house, soaking wet. Mother was crying. People were sad.

Fast forward to the present… here I am writing (obviously, I made it).

Here I am because I wanted to share a profound realization that, for some reason, nobody is talking about:

Life will continue whatever shit happens.

It doesn’t stop whether you failed your class, broke up with your partner, lost that customer, fired at your job, got scammed, embarrassed by your friends, ignored by the people you love, harassed by a stranger, and so on.

Whether you’re having a bad day… Whether you’re failing or succeeding…

No matter how hard your situation is, the world doesn’t care. And it will not stop for you.

Now back to the question: “Can you remember anything before you’re born?”

Of course you can’t. Because you are not there yet. The world — life — comes first.

And this implies that the world doesn’t depend on you. It can exist without you.

The problem starts when you want to change life as it is; when you can’t accept reality; when you want it to be different, to be in accordance with what you are imagining.

And that is causing you so much stress.

But when you learn to accept reality, you become less miserable.

You’ll then realize that life is a gift. Not just a gift, but a very special one.

Because although you didn’t wish to be born — it wasn’t your choice — but well, here you are. Hello there!

This means that being born is a privilege — a privilege to experience life as it is.

Whatever the experience is — good or bad, happy or sad, meaningful or meaningless — it’s all part of the package. Without the opposite, it’s impossible to appreciate something.

Of course you can always fantasize a different life. But at some point, you have to accept what reality is and embrace it. There’s nothing else out there.

And at some point, realize that this privilege you’re experiencing right now… it’s not forever. You will die anytime.

In other words, you only have one shot.

So whether you live 80 years or 20 years, doesn’t really matter. If you can live with acceptance, and you can play your role to the best of your ability, and take advantage of whatever available resources you have, then it’s worth living.

Remember. One shot.