Good morning and happy Hump Day! I hope your day is off to a great start.
Yesterday was a productive day for me. I needed it. I had a hard time sleeping Sunday night, excited about all the things I was planning to do this week, and then Monday my lower back knocked me for a loop and I didn’t get anything accomplished.
We all know that feeling of going to bed, knowing you didn’t get anything done that you’d planned. I don’t know of anybody for whom time is a luxury – we’re all busy, and we need to make optimal use of our time to get things done. So, a day of inactivity hits hard. It’s more than just a feeling of laziness – it’s the realization that we missed an opportunity.
Every minute of every day, we have opportunities to do something productive. And, make no mistake, that something “productive” often comes in the form of relaxation, quality time with family, calling a friend, or even sitting on the porch and listening to the birds sing. It’s not all about how hard you can work each day.
Some opportunities are there any time we want them, at least to some degree. I can always put a movie in the DVD player and kick back with a bowl of popcorn. But I can’t always take my wife to the showing of a new movie. Between work and other obligations, opportunities to do that are limited. And when you finally do get around to it, the movie isn’t showing any longer.
So, you wait until it comes out on DVD. The movie is the same, but the experience is entirely different. Instead of the theater experience with all its excitement and anticipation, you get the home experience complete with pausing to let the dog out, answering the phone, and listening to the sounds of traffic.
It’s that way with a lot of things. Some opportunities are there once and then they’re gone forever. Others are waiting in the background, just in case you’ve changed your mind. And others, like getting the laundry done never go away.
As we’re deciding how best to use our time, it’s important to know which of those opportunities will be there every day, and which ones will be gone tomorrow. The problem is, sometimes it’s a combination of the two. The things I needed to do Monday are still there and I can do them any time I want. But Monday is gone and that puts me one day further behind.
I made up for it yesterday, and I’ll continue to make up for it the rest of the week. But, much like a feature movie, the opportunity changes over time. You can still accomplish the same goal, but not with the same effect. That’s the price of letting an opportunity slip by.
For years, my wife has dreamed of travel, both domestic and international. There’s a whole big world out there and she wants to see it. I’ve been around the world, and I’d love to go back. More than anything, I want to see her face light up as she experiences destinations she’s only seen on TV.
And that opportunity is still there. Except we’re both a lot older now, and physical limitations are beginning to set in. We can visit the pyramids but climbing to the top is out of the question. We can go to the beach, but neither of us is up to surfing. And a day taking in the sights of Rome becomes three days, simply because older people wear out and need to rest.
And here’s the thing – the same opportunities that will allow us to do those things in a year or two were at our disposal forty years ago. We just didn’t act on them. We let those opportunities slip by, always thinking “next month – next year – after the bills are paid off – after the kids are grown.” The next thing you know, forty years have passed and you’re still saying “One of these days …”
If there’s something you want, or just something you need to do, don’t let opportunities slip past. Some may be there whenever you’re ready to get started, and others just blow on by. Life happens. People grow older. Illnesses crop up. Somebody takes your spot in the road on the way to work. And all of a sudden, those opportunities are gone.
Make the most of each moment. Whether that means working or resting, dreaming or acting on those dreams, or investing in memories that will last beyond your lifetime, make the moment count. There will only be one “today.” Make the most of the opportunities that today has to offer – they’ll shape the things you can enjoy tomorrow.
That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!
© 2019 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved
Dave Glardon 