You can. End of story.

On Wednesday I posted an image on Facebook: a cup filled with coffee, the words Happy Hump Day scrawled on its surface and hearts drifting upward from its steam, and added my own message: You can. End of story. What thrills you? You can. What obstacle do you face? You can. What dream persists? You can. I read an article about how society spends more time seeking entertainment and distraction than focusing on learning and creating. And that when we forego the latter, we take a step backward rather than grow into the extraordinary person we’re meant to be. Much of what I read intrigued me: “You are defined by what you’re willing to struggle for.” I believe that. “Most people aren’t willing to really struggle for anything.” I don’t believe that. It might be a struggle simply to rise each day to face your reality. Or perhaps you’re 100 percent satisfied living an ordinary life. Just remember: You can. End of story.

What do you struggle for?

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

The fountain of youth

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.
Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life
is to keep your mind young. ~ Henry Ford

Who would’ve guessed that Henry Ford would not only design the Model T, but also discover the fountain of youth? For years I thought I’d know it all when I hit the mid-century mark. Funny, but it seems there’s no end to what I’m learning. And that, my friends, is the secret to staying young. Because when we stop learning, we essentially stagnate. My acupuncturist recently told me I possess a ‘youthful’ energy. What a compliment, and one I ascribe to my lifestyle—of working out and practicing yoga, taking naps when necessary, participating in writing workshops, devouring books, volunteering and stepping outside of my comfort zone. Laughter is another element that I credit for my youthful energy and which sounds good at any age. Oh, and remember: accessorize with a smile.

How do you remain youthful?

Image courtesy of Keattikorn at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Learning from our mistakes

 

We met 22 years earlier and, despite two dozen-plus years between us, we clicked. A big sister of sorts, she trained me in so I could fill her office shoes while she vacationed. But when she returned to the workplace more than a week later, she learned she had cancer. My temp assignment stretched into long term. We developed a friendship over homemade meals I delivered and commonalities we discovered. I stayed on for a year once she came back and we worked well together. After changing jobs, we shared coffee dates and strolls through her neighborhood, mourned our respective parents’ deaths and exchanged cards and phone calls. Yet I could’ve done more. Just this week I learned from her sister that she lost her fight to cancer two months ago. My heart is heavy and I am once again reminded how little it takes to maintain a connection. And, when we don’t, we miss out on what truly matters in life.

What lesson have you recently learned?

Image courtesy of bplanet at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

It’s not your job to fix it

A couple of months ago, I was chatting with a friend about someone close to me who is unhappy with life in general. I know I haven’t always made it easy for this person, so I told my friend I have my work cut out for me. And then my friend said something mind blowing: “That’s not your job. They need to work it out on their own.” What?! You mean I’m only responsible for fixing myself? Talk about liberating. Although I already knew this truth, deep down, the validation was good to hear. Once again, we can only control ourselves and our response to whatever is going on around us. Even though I’ve got a half century of living under my belt, the personal assignments I’ve engaged in daily over the past several weeks have taught me a lot—mostly that I still have quite a bit to learn about life. But at least I’m learning.

What is something you recently learned about yourself, or about life?

Image courtesy of clce.onmason.com.

To die tomorrow or live forever

[Image credit: Jennifer Ellison]

Live as if you were to die tomorrow.
Learn as if you were to live forever.
~ Mohandas K. Gandhi

It’s possible I could die tomorrow.  If that were true, I’d spend today with the people most important to me doing what I love the most: likely combing the shell-laden southeast beaches and writing the remainder of my story as a snapshot in time, building memories that will live on long after I’m gone.  There would be no time to sweat the small stuff, but just enough to cram decades of dreams into 24 hours of living.  But if I were to live forever, hopefully I would build upon each life lesson — always thirsting for knowledge, yet passing along to others the wisdom of my experience.  I think when it comes right down to it, however, it’s all about learning to live life to the fullest regardless — of time and of circumstance.  Always living, learning and loving.

What would your today look like if there were no tomorrows?