Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain
As a young man working on a potato farm, I would bear the tough work by dreaming of my future. I daydreamed about the places I’d go, experiences I’d have, and people I’d meet. I knew that, God-willing, someday I’d have the resources to take real adventures. I created a mental bucket-list, and over the last few years I’ve finally been blessed enough to cross a few things off.
This last weekend, Claire and I took a trip to Breckenridge, Colorado for an excursion of winter sports, good friends, and fantastic food. All my life I’d dreamed of conquering the Rocky Mountains, and the dream finally became a reality. Standing on top of the 12,000+ foot mountains, I couldn’t help but think back to those days as a young twenty-year old with no cash in my pocket and grand plans I could only imagine.
It forced me to realize how short life is. As the scriptures say, “life is here today and gone tomorrow.” As a fifty year old, my cup is already half full. What do I want to accomplish? The days can be tedious, repetitive, and boring without adventure, yet why do people so often cling to the familiar?
This past weekend was one of the best of my life, and it opened my eyes to how fun and exhilarating life can truly be. Where do you place your value? How do you want to spend your time? Do you yearn to travel? Are you itching to run a race? Do you want to start your own company?
After this weekend, twenty-year old Kevin is back. The days are fleeting, so it’s our job to make the most of it. No one owns your life but you, so let go of those reigns of normality and conquer the dreams you had as a youngster.
Life is brief, but with an adventurous spirit and a few bucks in your pocket, it can be more than enough time to feel truly alive.
The famous Pope Paul VI once said ”somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.” With that said, stand tall and seize the day. Today is no ordinary day, it’s time for you to shine.
Published on January 31, 2014