FEATURE: Start now
As the great philosopher Matthew McConaughey once said in the movie Dazed and Confused, "You just gotta keep on livin', man. L-I-V-I-N." Image from iStockphoto/Thinkstock.
We don’t typically write two editorials in a row, but I thought we should make an exception for today.
Why?
Because yesterday some friends and I attended a memorial service for one of our good friends’ mom. She was 54.
The day before, one of our friends’ step-brothers passed away. He was 32.
Last week, we heard another friend of a friend passed away. He was 37.
Don’t get me wrong, this article isn’t going to be about how sad it is to hear about these events, especially as we end 2011. This article was written largely because of the inspirational words during yesterday’s service about how our friend’s mom lived an abundant life. Although I hardly knew her, I could tell she was a wonderful wife, mother, sister and person.
As I looked on and thought about the other people that passed, I couldn’t help but realize that none of us ultimately knows how our time is going to end.
What we do have control over, however, is what we are going to do before that time.
When that time comes for you and people talk about who you were as a person, how do you want to be remembered? As a person who was afraid to take challenges? As a person who was afraid to live life?
I don’t know about you, but I know how I want people to talk about me. I want people to remember me as someone who lived. Took chances. Tried to be awesome 24/7 (in a non-egomaniacal way of course).
So I’m going to ask again: how do you want to be remembered?
If I were to guess, it would probably be as someone who made sure that every minute of their life was spent improving themselves and the ones around them. Someone who was remembered as an amazing individual. Someone who can look back at their lives and be proud of both their mistakes and accomplishments.
So why wait another minute? Start being that person now.
If there is one thing that the past few days has taught me, it is the fact that we don’t know how long our timeline is. Don’t wait another minute to become the person you’ve always wanted to be.
Go take those foreign language classes. Go travel the world. Go follow your dream to give the “Most Interesting Man in the World” a run for his money.
I know I’m going to give it a shot.
Have a great and happy 2012 and don’t waste another minute of your time. Go be awesome now.
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