While reading an anonymous quote in the book, Dance While You Can- Gentle Reminders to Help You Live Your Life to the Fullest, by Lance Wubbels, I was struck by the words.
“First I was dying to finish high school and start college. And then I was dying to finish college and start working. And then I was dying to marry and have children. And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough so I could get back to my career. And then I was dying to retire. And now I am dying…and suddenly I realize that I forgot to live.”
Although the words describe a despairing end, we don’t have to go out that way. We can choose to live our lives fully and with focus. We can take the time to hold our children’s hands, paint pictures at the dining room table, and let those who matter the most know how much they mean to us. We can mine what has been uniquely deposited inside each of us, stretch beyond the status quo, choose life over vacuuming and picnics over fast food. We get to choose.
Wubbels’ book reminds us that Socrates learned to dance when he was seventy, because he felt he neglected an essential part of himself. Truly we are never too old to redirect our focus, be deliberate about our priorities and choose to make the most of this life. We can start now!
