What If Later Never Comes?

We’ve all heard it. “Sacrifice now so you can enjoy life later.”

Work hard. Hustle. Delay the dream until you’ve earned it.

But what if later never comes? It’s not just a passing thought. It’s real.

Nearly 1 in 5 men in the U.S. die before reaching retirement age. That means a lot of people spend their best years grinding for a version of life they never get to experience. That number hit me hard.

I don’t want to be one of them. I don’t want to spend my healthiest years chasing a future that’s not guaranteed.

But I’ll be honest—there’s a weird guilt that comes up when I think about living fully now.

Like I’m breaking some unspoken rule. Like I’m being irresponsible for wanting more than just survival.

We’re so programmed to wait. To delay. To “deserve” rest.

But after everything I’ve been through, I’ve realized I can’t wait for permission.

I want something different.

To live slowly.

To love deeply.

To make things that feel real—not just profitable.

That’s why I take pictures. That’s why I write. That’s why I left the rat race behind.

My camera helps me pay attention to the little things that actually matter.

Writing helps me process them.

Both keep me grounded in a world that constantly tells us to keep pushing.

I don’t have all the answers. I’m still figuring it out—one slow day at a time.

But I know this… I’d rather build a simple, meaningful life I can live fully now than chase a version of success that might never feel like mine.

If you’ve been waiting for permission to slow down, to live more intentionally, to step off the path everyone else is sprinting down—this is it.

Choose now. Not later.