We often spend too much time dwelling on the past and planning for the future. As kids we can’t wait to grow up, and as adults we wish for youth; many of us live in a state where the present is never enough.
A few years ago I had a conversation with a man I met while attending a Cal Berkeley Alumni event with my Dad; I attended many of them for a while after my Mom passed, both to keep him company and to be the designated driver. In conversation, the topic of age came up and I said something like “I’m old, almost 40”. I was 38. The guy I was speaking replied “Well, when you are 60 you won’t think 40 is so old. And when you’re 80, 60 won’t be old, right?”. I often think of this conversation when I’m feeling “old” and it reminds me to appreciate the present.
This moment, right now, is really all we are guaranteed. The past is gone, the future is unknown. Life will inevitably bestow shortcomings and abundance, lows and highs, joy and sadness. That is the balance of the roller coaster ride that it is. If there is one thing for damn sure, it’s that life is not boring.
What if today was the day you look back on and remember as the day your life changed? What if today you decided to stop waiting for some “ideal life”, to stop yearning for the past and start living for today? I bet the person you are 20 years from now would really appreciate that.
Here’s to the beginning of a new week, and the final week of our challenge. Here’s to today, because never will any of us ever live another just like it.
Carpe Diem!
Coach Michelle