“Every man dies, but not every man truly lives” Mel Gibson (Braveheart)
Screw society’s version of the American dream which has been jammed down our throats for far too long, and to hell with the metaphorical “Jones's”. I have spent the better part of my life working as a Geriatric Nurse. I have held the hands of numerous dying patients as they breathed their last breath, and have comforted more grieving families than I wish to remember. In their final hours, most people express regrets such as wishing they spent more quality time with those that they held dear, or wishing just once they took a leap of faith in pursuit of a dream. Not one single person has ever said to me “I wished I worked more”, or “I wish I had more money”. These experiences have provided me with an invaluable perspective into what truly matters in life. I am grateful to have had shared in such moments, because most don’t have the fortune of such epiphanies until they are one day forced to face their own mortality.
I am a very grateful person with many blessings to count. I have a happy marriage to the most amazing woman in the whole world. I have a healthy mind, body and spirit. I work in a profession as a nurse where I have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of others daily. I have a good work/life balance, and enjoy hobbies such as hiking, yard sales and playing my acoustic guitar. I am debt free, and live a minimal and frugal lifestyle by choice. I place more value on experiences in life verses consumerism. Still, there are a few areas in my life that leave me unfulfilled. The most prominent being, the world is such a vast and wondrous place I have yet to explore it. I have spent most of my life living in a location that I absolutely despise. Two weeks a year vacation time is insufficient for me to experience all that I wish to, and I refuse to wait until retirement, because retirement is not guaranteed. All I am guaranteed is today!
Death is an unequivocal certainty, and we know not the time or place it will occur. Today, I will make a conscious choice to fill my life with positive people and experiences every day. Today, I will constantly strive to reinvent myself considering new ideas and perspectives as unconventional as they might be. Today, I will accept the circumstances of my life, but work toward the betterment of my tomorrow. Today I choose to live deliberately and purposefully, and reject a life of conformity and mere existence. Today I choose to be the author of my life’s story and not just a casual reader. Today I choose to live a life of my design… Let the journey begin!
What will you do today to live the life you wish to live?
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