We all think that we have these great futures to look forward to. We will all have witnessed the events and new technology and changes in the world twenty, thirty, forty, even fifty years from now. But how many of us consider that a large portion of us simply won't be alive?

People die all the time, obviously. Accidents, diseases, etc. Not all of us (yes, all of you reading this, and your friends, and everyone else our age) are going to be alive twenty or ten or maybe even one year from now. A number of us will have died - brain tumors, leukemia, car accidents, heart attacks, possibly murder will get us. I'm honestly not trying to sound paranoid, because I'm certainly not paranoid, but I am being realistic.

It's kind of scary to think about. Will YOU be the one that gets the cancer at age twenty-four; the one who slides on the ice while driving to school around that curve this winter and is immediately killed? Of course, it's impossible to tell, but we have to face the facts - not all of us will be alive as long as we think we will be.

Enjoy your life. You might not have that future that you envision so perfectly in your mind. What if you don't have that career that you look forward to in twenty years? What if your life ends in four years and the farthest you got was getting the education that you needed to get to that career?

Since we have no way of knowing what's going to happen to us and when, just live your life one day at a time, enjoying everything and not taking advantage of everything that matters. Don't worry about petty shit. Don't put yourself in pain over stuff that won't matter a week from now. Don't live for the future, because you don't know if you're going to have one. Sure, you can look forward to stuff and plan things out, but make sure that you enjoy NOW at the same time.

It could be you!

I'd rather live a great short life than a long unfulfilled one

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We're just kids in adult bodies

Doesn't that seem a little bit empty to you? Stoned Pixie said that she would rather live a great short life than a long unfulfilled one, but I think that to live a long fulfilled life is about as good as you can get. I think that balance is THE most important quality you can have in life. It is not healthy to live completely for the future, because yes, it can all be taken away in the blink of an eye. But neither is it healthy to live  for the present, because if you do live a long life, someday you are going to look back and ask yourself, "In the 40 years that I've had, what have I accomplished?" For a person who lives for the moment, the answer is going to be that they have done absolutely nothing of any consequence, because consequental activities take time, planning, and effort.

there is obviously a line drawn between what is too much and what isnt when it comes to 'living every day as if it were your last', its not like im trying to let myself die. I'm sure others could understand that

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a large portion of us simply won't be alive?

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The average person in a wealthy country lives into their 80's. AVERAGE, meaning some people even live beyond that but the average person will live into their 80's.

Also judging that this is the "intellectual forum" more of us will have a long life since the chances of us being dumb enough to go into a car with a drunk driver or let ourselves be the drunk driver is considerably less.

I always talk about how I'm going to have kids, and what I'll be like towards them, but of course, I know I might not even make it to there.  But who knows?  I'd rather be optimistic (though I rarely am) than like "Well, if I survive long enough to have kids, I'd blah blah blah."

I believe it is important to live for the present AND the future.  Doing things right now would really help, but really, what are you living for?  You just have to try to believe you're going to make it, and if you don't, ehh, whatever.  Though I agree with the point of not knowing how long you're going to live, I have to somewhat disagree with you last paragraph.  Have those petty and pain feelings, but get over it soon, that's what I have to say, or heal, not an attitude like "What's wrong with you for feeling that way, you're such an idiot!  Get over it!"  Otherwise...sure.

As an outsider's view, you're a half glass empty type person, aren't you?  That's not a rude comment or one trying to offend you, just a viewpoint.

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Why am I the one who's worthy of praise
From a girl who amongst coal is a gem?