YOLO. Surely you’ve heard this before today – You Only Live Once.
This simple fact is something that has been resident in my mind for some time, and I am fortunate to be reminded of it by others at varying intervals.
Take the chance meeting I had with a gentleman last August at the West Virginia State Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Meeting at the The Greenbrier Resort. There was an ice cream social on the agenda on the first day of the meeting.
Not one to miss a good hot fudge sundae (for me, this requires hand-dipped hard ice cream – no soft serve!), of course I stopped by one of the serving stations. I stood there for a few minutes pondering the level of bad manners I would be displaying if I picked up the bowl of hot fudge and asked the server to put a couple of scoops of vanilla into it, rather than ask for the ice cream and put some hot fudge on it. Finally, having allowed my better manners to prevail, I started to turn away, delicious dessert in hand, when I noticed the man who had come up behind me. His name tag indicated he worked for a private university system where a good friend also works. I used the opportunity to introduce myself. Little did I know it was a divine appointment in the making!
Having someone in common, and in need of a place to sit and enjoy our sundaes, we made our way over to a table and sat down to eat and chat. Three hours later, we were surprised to be interrupted by the banquet staff, needing us to relocate as they needed to reset the room for a dinner that evening.
It was a profound and interesting conversation as he shared his dreams, his longing to do something bigger and more meaningful than what his daily work amounted to, and his realization that time was passing quickly. “This isn’t a dress rehearsal,” he said, painfully aware that each day he puts off actively pursuing his dream of writing a book, the closer he is to the day when it will be too late. We’ve spoken several times since then, and I don’t believe he is any closer to getting started.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve been listening to JoDee Messina this week. This morning, another song grabbed by attention as I was thinking about this concept of only living once. Here it is:
Was that My Life*
I don’t want to be the one who’s old before their time
And lose the wonder that I felt as a child
I can’t run this race believing I might lose
Still so much to see, so much left to do
Yes, I’ll fall more than I’ll fly
But no one can say I never tried
We just get one ride around the sun in this dream of time
It goes so fast, then one day we look back and we ask:
Was that my life?
I close my eyes and think how lucky I have been
To hold the ones I love and share my dreams with them
All those sunny days and all those starry skies
Good morning kisses and sweet goodnights
I can’t tell them enough just how much they are loved
We just get one ride around the sun in this dream of time
It goes so fast, then one day we look back and we ask:
Was that my life?
I appreciate these reminders, as they keep me focused on doing the things I need to each day, so I don’t need to worry about that day coming and being full of the “I wish I would have…” angst and disappointment. It’s a work in progress for me.
How about you?
What matters most to you?
What do you long to do?
What change do you want to make in the world?
Who do you need to reconnect with, make amends with?
What adventures do you yearn to go on?
Whatever it is, what do you need to do today to get started moving in the direction of your purpose, your future?
As the man said: This is not a dress rehearsal.
I encourage you to make the most of every day, knowing you will fall before you fly, but if you persist you will get there!
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