“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” -Benjamin Franklin and My Mom
Growing up I cannot count the number of times my mom told me, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” I believe this was my mom’s nice way of saying, “you better get up and do what I told you to do!” 😊
Last week I was having a conversation about life with a group of friends. A wise friend who I always enjoy gaining insight from said, “If my life ends today, I don’t want to be caught waiting.” All week long I have thought about these words and the idea of waiting for someday before I start living the life I desire.
The last 6 months of the pandemic has for sure made an impact on everyone’s life in some way. For many people, the idea of enjoying or living a satisfying life must remain stopped until a vaccine is found. For some, the idea of no more hugs, no going out to dinner, or face to face conversations with friends until the number of positive cases hit zero. For others, the idea of living a healthier life or starting a new relationship needs to wait until masks are not required. Or what about this one…….”2020 has been a tough year, I’m going to wait until it’s over to begin living a better life. “
What if your life were to end today? Do you want to be caught waiting? Would you have lived your life to the very fullest or would you still be waiting for someday?
When is someday?
It was June 28, 1998…. a day just like any other day. The retirement papers had all been signed and it was official. In August, just less than 2 months away, my dad would punch the time clock for the last time at the manufacturing facility where he worked. He had waited for what seemed to be a lifetime to begin pursuing the life he really wanted. His plans included a move to sunny Florida, a new home, and he would finally get to start his own business. A dream he had planned for over 30 years.
Later in the evening, on that normal June night, my mom received a telephone call from the local hospital telling her that my dad had been in a serious accident less than 2 miles from home and care flight was already in route taking him to another hospital….. a trauma center that specialized in traumatic brain Injuries.
The accident critically injured a large part of my dad’s brain responsible for motor skill function. He would never walk, eat, or be able to take care of himself independently again. My dad lived for 11 years after the accident, but his quality of life was impacted to the point that he would not be able to live out most of his dreams after retirement.
What have you put on hold?
Does a broken relationship need mending? An apology needing to be made or forgiveness given? A need for a real conversation with someone? Distancing yourself from a loved one’s destructive behavior? Quiet time for yourself to refill your soul? Adopting a healthy lifestyle to include healthier eating and exercise? Starting a new business? Starting a new blog? Finding a new job? Rediscovering the things that bring you joy and letting go of things that bring you conflict, fear, and resentment?
Is it possible that today could be the day you stop waiting?
What’s one action step that you can take in the next 24 hours that will begin breaking the cycle of waiting one more day to start something good?
“Just for today I will be unafraid. Especially I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe that as I give to the world, so the world will give to me.” – One Day at a Time.
Don’t wait, your life matters today!
Everyday, I have the pleasure of walking along side coaching clients as they discover how to take life off hold and begin living the life they desire. If you would like this, I would love to have a conversation with you!
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