Indulge me for a moment:
None of us is promised tomorrow. Oh, we like to think we have 50+ years on this earth, that we will die peacefully in our sleep. That we have all the time in the world to….live. So, not true. In a split second, the doctor gives the diagnosis. The other car crosses the center line. The heart stops. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The truth is, this is really just a temporary stay and we act as if it’s forever.
I’ve got a new lease on life (we all do every day!) and here are the questions to ask and see if you are really living your life with that knowledge that this is all temporary:
1. What would I do if I had only 20 years to live? I would travel, spend time with family, learn to ride my bike with clips! I would allow myself the freedom to give myself a few of the finer things in life. I would strive to win a race in my age group (gotta wait until I am a bit older!). I would find the man who I would spend the rest of my life with and we would ride our bikes across Europe! I would get rid of the SUV and buy an adult car! I would be a grandma!
2. What would I do if I only had 1 year to live? I would enjoy my family and friends more and would not worry about the rest. I would do as much as I could for others.
3. What would I do if I only had one day to live …..?
Notice the difference. The 20-year one is filled with my self-indulgent items, such as travel, personal items, etc. The 1 year list narrows and is made up of the selfless items in life.
Everything on my 20 year list is as important as my one year list. But, we tend to look so far into the future that we assume we can fulfill the one year items and, therefore, they are not a high priority. The point is to identify the importance of the high priority, even when we have the time.
We need to behave, say and do those things that take into account the notion that this is just temporary. We need to clean up our act rather than just say or do, thinking we can clean up later!
We get caught up in our daily lives and forget to see the bigger picture of what matters most – our family, our friends, how we treat others and our moral compass. I want to remember that every day is special, sometimes difficult, but special. I want to help someone every day. I want to be treated with love and respect. I want to do the same for others.
How do you want to live your life if you only had only one day? Act like that.
Enjoy the warm weather (it’s only temporary … (smile)).
theyearof50 
yup