Category: Soul Searching

What If I Knew Tomorrow Was Going To Be The Last Day Of My Life

What if I knew tomorrow was going to be the last day of my life?
This would be my bucket list.

• Wake up in time to see the sunrise and not complain about getting up so early
• Kiss my wife until my lips hurt and burn into my soul the enchantment of holding her in my arms
• Tell my kids how much I love them (though this will fall short of my feelings) and how proud I am of them
• Smile until my jowls ache
• Listen to every sound surrounding me as if I was a newborn…the birds singing, dogs barking, traffic noise, every spoken word, the whisper “I love you” that shakes my world
• Crank up the stereo and play air guitar one last time to Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven
• Savor every single tasty sensation. Revel in the bite of a crispy, cold apple, the pure refreshment of a sip of water, the astonishing delights my wife concocts
• Wallow in the aromas I’ve always taken for granted. The fragrance of my wife, a freshly cut orange, peanut butter, the flowers blooming in our yard, chili cooking on the stove
• Smile until my eyes hurt
• Make music with my eyes closed and heart wide open. Let my fingers dance one last time to an unseen inspiration
• Really see for the first time in my life the amazing visual displays that have surrounded me but I was too blind to see. The pure love in my wife’s eyes when she looks at me. The genuine, heartfelt smiles of my friends and family. Myself, when I look into my children’s eyes. Every stunning color of the hummingbirds at our feeder. The setting sun casting its crimson shadow, tinting the clouds a stunning magenta. The stars hanging in the sky just for my entertainment
• Laugh out loud
• Play with my dog and delight in the simple joy I can grant him with a few minutes of my time
• Dance with my wife in my arms
• Rejoice in every little ache and pain…and laugh them off
• Fall asleep with the love of my life lying next to me and exult in overwhelming gratitude for how blessed I have been.
• Wake up in the morning and do it all over again

So I bet you’re thinking the moral of this story is to live every day like it was your last. Well, that is a good one but the epiphany I have come to realize is to live every moment like was your last. There are no takebacks of past mistakes or promises of a brighter future, but what I can control is what each moment holds. Live long and prosper my friend.

July 6, 2018 Add Comment

A Postcard Life

I have many questions for you today. First, if you were going to write your autobiography, would it fill a postcard or be a thousand-page novel?

Are you an “important” person with initials after your name? Do you fill your days with planners and business meetings? Are you so busy that you push aside the people and things that truly matter in your life? Are you just an “average” Joe or Jane trying hard to make things work, struggling to get the kids off to school, get to work on time, make it to the soccer games, get dinner ready, and pay your bills on time? Now it really does not matter what category you fall under. What is your answer to the first question?

Do you want to tell your life story to the world? Do you feel the need to? Will it help others knowing your struggles or accomplishments? I am sure most of you can think of autobiographies you have read about historical figures or celebrities. Which one are you? Does it matter?

What do you think Mother Teresa would have written for her autobiography? My guess she would have scratched “I’ve tried to help the best I could” on a napkin. Can any of you think of another person that has influenced so many people in one lifetime?

Now, I am going to ask again, are you a postcard or novel candidate? More importantly, can you be fulfilled with a postcard life? I do not mean to infer that your life, no matter what category, is not filled with unique experiences, trying situations, drama, comedy, you name it. But are you selfless enough to say I’ve tried my best, and leave it at that?

To me, setting priorities in life are much more important than setting goals. If the only priority you have in your entire life is to help others you will achieve gifts that have no price tags. If setting and meeting your goals at any expense is more important to you, the gifts you receive will be fleeting.

Now as a businessman I set business goals. I work hard to achieve these goals. I never attain these goals at the expense of my priorities. Could I gain more wealth and prestige if I shoved aside my priorities? I believe I could but at the expense of losing my soul. It is just not worth it.

Which will you lead, a postcard or a novel life? You choose.

October 4, 2017 Add Comment