Okay, so maybe I could have broken it to you more gently than that, but you know it´s true. Nobody lives forever and every second of every minute of every hour of every day, takes us one step closer to our impending doom!!!

Yeah, you can´t beat a bit of happiness on a Saturday morning! But, there is a reason for saying this, because although the future might be grim, as nature´s eraser chooses another dot on the page, but the fact is that the present doesn´t have to be.

We all have a legacy, like it or not, we will all be remembered by somebody, perhaps not for ever as the recent anniversary of the Titanic sinking proved. The 1,500+ passengers of men, women and children are all but forgotten, other than becoming new memories in the form of film, perhaps diminishing the value that their lives once held and the suffering of those many people who lost their mum, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, friend…

Similarly, the Hillsborough disaster was remembered this week, another sad loss and perhaps more raw that that of Titanic, which may explain why the latter received more coverage than the huge loss of a luxury liner.

We try to build memory prompts, which is made somewhat easier by use of a calendar, allowing us to create a fixed point in time to force us to recognise these dates. Not a bad thing, but those who have lost will no doubt remember every single day, on one level or another.

Talking of time, and I do digress a little, you may have read that China is looking at banning time travel! Well, at least they are looking at banning it on television and film, as the government believe it belittles the memory of history and dilutes the facts, even changes the view of what may have actually happen. Although a very bizarre rule on the face of it, I can´t help but think that they have a point. After all, what will happen to historic records if they become diluted by (often) an American dramatised angle only, perhaps offering a biased view which is not necessarily an accurate record of history. Take pictures every day, keep an on line diary, tweet, facebook, do anything that records the mundane of today so that future generations can look back and see what life was really like during our times.

Anyway, back to the point… We are going to die, we pretty much know that now, but the whole point I wanted to make is that from the bleak and somewhat negative outlook that faces us, we can actually make into a positive for today.

When you´re gone, dead, buried, cremated, frozen, whatever, how will you be remembered? Here´s the thing, some people are known to be happy, or talented, or fun, or miserable (that´s me), but what about the things that we do on a daily basis. What you are doing right now, could be the last thing you ever do (I hope I manage to finish typing this first).

If you are horrible to somebody right now, if you are swearing at somebody, if you are making somebody unhappy, if you are spreading peace, joy, happiness, that just might be the very last thing that you do.

The whole point is that we know we will die, but how do we want to be remembered for the last thing we do? I don´t believe in god, religion, afterlife or anything like that personally, although there are elements of certain teachings that I feel may have a point, when we are gone, we are gone.

So, here´s what I want you to do. Stop what you´re doing… No, not NOW, finish reading this first, then stop what you´re doing, think about how you are feeling and how, like a pebble in a lake, how your actions will have a reaction to those around you. Then think of one thing that you could do right now to spread a little bit of joy.

Hints… Look at one person and pay them a compliment. See a lonely looking person – say hello. See somebody in need of help – offer. It may only take a minute, but that action could mean the world to the person who receives it, and they too just might take on your ripple of happiness and spread it even further.

Think of this a few times in the day and before you know it, the world will be a better place and the chances are that your last action on earth will be that of spreading joy and happiness, enforcing that you are a good person, and will be remembered just as that.

And, just to finish off, pay a little attention to those who go about their daily lives with one single goal, the goal of helping others, however big or small, often with little reward, often with little praise until you need them. Think about this…

Firefighter Brett Cunniff provides oxygen to a kitten rescued from a burning house in Missoula’s Rattlesnake Valley.

The kitten was taken to a local veterinary hospital, and was reportedly “doing really good.”

Always remember, the world is a better place only because you´re in it.

M.x