Live cautiously, but Live Fully!

It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.

- Marcus Aurelius

Caution is such a two edged sword. We teach our children to be cautious with strangers; to be careful crossing streets. We have traffic lights, signs and symbols for caution. It makes sense to forecast possible danger in the world and then step carefully. So can one be too cautious? Yes!

When you always wait for tomorrow because today is too risky, then you miss on ever taking action. When caution turns into inaction for fear of consequences; life ceases to have any true meaning. Sometimes, one has to weigh all the possibilities and then take a step hoping for the best case scenario and not the worst.

Caution can turn into looking for every possible catastrophe that could possibly occur. Instead of moving with a wary step, the individual become frozen to a state of immobility with a fear of acting. Life is to short to spend it fearful of every possible bad result.

We must live for today, just for today. We must take each day and live it to its fullest. Be aware of the possibilities both good and bad then step forward. Make sure that you are prepared for the worst, but expect the best.

Only when we expect the best can we truly have a hope of achieving the best. The brain always works to achieve what it hears in our thoughts the most. If we expect the worst, chances our we will only see the possibilities and confirmation of the worst. If we expect the best, the same applies, we will see the best possible results.

So use caution as it was meant to be used, to take your time and make good and well thought decisions. Do not fret and worry to a state where you cannot take an action. Only by embracing each day for all it can bring us can we truly hope to enjoy life. Such principles are time honored as evident by today's quote. Wisdom does not change even in the face of progress. Live cautiously, but Live Fully!