I'm writing this on Sunday, February 4, which won't mean much to many who might listen to this. But for those of us that know, you'll know that, at least for 2018 - it is Superbowl Sunday - That's right, an unofficial national holiday here in the US and for anyone who is a fan of the National Football League.
Tonight, the underdog Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots and their dynasty of Super Bowl wins. The reason I even bring this up is to address the playing style and general hype around the New England Patriot's quarterback Tom Brady. (Side note: Even if you don't follow American football, this should be worth while.) At 40 years old, Brady is one of the oldest quarterbacks to continue playing a game generally dominated by younger players. He is still arguably at the top of his game, with a strategy of nutrition, training, and focus that eludes many of his competitors. He plays like it's the last time, because he knows that well, it might be the last time. Age is something I feel gives this perspective. You tend to understand the fleeting nature of life..but also understand that being in a rush is counterproductive. You know more of what's at stake and you see some basic plays with much more clarity than before. You become better at controlling the tempo of interactions. You look at subtitles. But, on nights like tonight, another thing begins to happen. At 37 years old, I realize now that I am, in reality, in the "second half" of life, based on the expected life span here in the US. And it may be much later in the game than I think because of the effects of chemotherapy as a child, my history as a cancer survivor, other health issues, or the possibility of basic freak accidents - things can bring any of us to an untimely end. This realization has led me to really want to take a stock of where I am now and what lies before me as I try to live life to the fullest. I'm taking a real inventory and would like to invite you to join me. Each day for the next week or so, I'll be jumping into another subject in life, detailing some of my own story, and giving you a type of frame work so you can follow along and apply to your own life. But my message tonight is simple...it's later than you think. We have time..it makes no sense to force or rush things..but we also have a tremendous lack of time. Paradoxical? Sure. But this is life..it is a paradox in itself. I hope that you'll join me and that we can all take control of the game of living this thing called life.
0 Comments
Tonight, I want to talk about you. All of the yous. The different yous that have existed since you were first conceived until this present moment.
There are so many forces allied against us these days. Entire industries exist to make us feel inadequate so they can sell us the temporary answer. Though their exposure to this same culture, parents and teachers reinforce this vague notion over and over again., The result? We're trapped in an endless of cycle of almost being enough..on our good days. Sometimes, we feel completely incapable of achieving anything, don't we? One of the hardest things for me to have developed in myself was the ability to appreciate who I was in this moment. Not who I could become in the future..but who I was now. Instead of future thinking, we can learn to accept who we are, what our capabilities are, and more importantly, what our inabilities are. It's a great gateway to self knowledge. So, start in the moment. Give up planning on what you can become in the future for a few minutes. Act now, do what you can now. Put it on the page. Then, it will exist in the real world where you can refine and develop it. The point is...let's just shut up..and get started. I remember the nights well. The first passionate kiss, the echoes of my voice throughout the city, the cadence of the darkness tremoring beneath our feet as walked the pavement at two in the morning. I remember the heady feeling, the hard turn of destiny, in which eternity felt compulsive and inevitable. The future opened wide and swallowed us whole.
Vladimir Lenin once said "There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen." These words hold as much truth as any that have ever been spoken. For years, we can be going along in our lives and nothing really interesting ever happens. We begin to feel a bit dull. And then, like a lighting bolt shot out of Valhalla, our whole world changes. Inevitable, unstoppable, like a damn bursting the in fabric of the cosmos. This is happening and many times, there isn't a damned thing we can do about it. For many years, I would do my best to fight the turning of the tide, until I received some sage advice from a great mentor. He put it this way "Life is like a river. Each experience is but something passing on the bank as you travel with the current. Sure, you can turn to swim upstream, swallowing water and exhausting yourself in the process. But how much better is it to turn and face the direction of the current, peace and a sense of exhilaration in your heart as you navigate the waters?" And he's right. Our life might change in moments..or it might take years. But the changes always feel surreal, almost intended. Magic moments. Whether they take us to good or evil - watch them as they pass one by one the riverbank. Then, leave them. Don't dwell there, but move with the waters of existence to the next destination. Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream.. |