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No truer words have any man said than “life is short.”
If life were as straightforward as a long stretch of road, it would be awesome. Many share this view. If you have a contrary opinion, you’re not wrong either. There is no right or wrong view on this subject, and that, my gentleman, is the essence of this article.
We’ve come to realize in the course of our life’s journey, that life doesn’t leave us with the simple options of black or white; A or B to choose from. The possibilities are presented in all shades of gray, royal blue and turquoise (I still can’t tell if it’s more blue than green). Well, we’re told that men are color blind.
Our purpose then is to navigate the hue the several colors life presents us in the best frame of body, mind, and spirit and positively influence those around us.
There is no one size fits all solution to life’s challenges. There are principles yes, some immutable. Like the sun and rain, they come whether anticipated or not in the course of the year, bar an eclipse, drought or we live in the Polar Regions. Either or both phenomena are bound to show up right in front of our doorsteps.
So we must realize that in life what might have worked for that friend, colleague or relative may not work for us. It didn’t work not because of the wrong application of the principles they applied, or that we didn’t put in the effort. It may be that when applying those principles, that colleague of ours had all the elements aligned in his favor.
However, we may have gotten rejected when we approached that bank manager for a similar loan, to finance a similar project. Perhaps he’d had a rough time with his spouse before leaving the house, or that potential investor wasn’t just in the mood because his cat died.
The fact is, for a specific event to occur it will require the concurrence of several other factors, which regrettably are usually beyond our control. Does this mean we have to wait for the perfect time? By Jove no!
Some call it grace, I call it the perfect alignment of the elements. When this alignment occurs, miracles take place. All we need do is show up and seize the moment. If the internet hadn’t been invented, we might not have heard of Facebook or Mark Zuckerberg. We won’t have known Michael Jordan without basketball. The list is endless.
Your moment will come, just make sure you’re ready and when it shows up. Ensure that you show up. Don’t let it catch you unprepared. A lot of times we’re the victims of our expectations. It’s important to set the bar high, by all means, do so. Just ensure you create a balance between that expectation and what you’re willing to sacrifice for it.
The point is simple, don’t sweat it.
Have the mindset of a professional athlete. Hope for the best and be prepared for the worst; and when the worst comes, take it in its stride. You lose today; then it’s on to the next one tomorrow. This is the recipe for happy living. Life is too short to hold on to unnecessary baggage.
Carpe diem, my good men, seize the day. Live for the precious moments that take your breath away. Intangible moments that can’t be measured in currency. Live it in love with friends and family. This is the true recipe for happiness because life may be gone in an instant. It’s indeed short.
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