Living (and loving) Life
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.“
–Ancient Chinese Proverb
Do you ever catch yourself saying something like the following?
“I wish I had done [whatever] back when I was younger. I have really missed out.“
Trust me, we all have regrets over opportunities missed, or simply passed up in order to take a different path.
Perhaps you regret not finishing high school or earning a college degree.
Or maybe you wish you had been an entrepreneur instead of an employee for 30+ years.
Whatever your regret might be, is it really too late to do it right now, regardless of your age?
The answer could well be yes if your current situation rules out any realistic chance at success.
For example, trying to earn a spot on the roster of a Major League Baseball team years after you’ve passed your physical prime would probably be a massive waste of time.
But that being said, the answer could also be no!
You might not be able to suit up and play third base for the Dodgers, but if you love the game of baseball you can always coach a Little League team and (perhaps) help some youngster begin his own journey towards playing in the Majors.
And while planting a tiny sapling in your back yard at age 70 might not provide much benefit to you during the remainder of your own lifetime, it might mean the world to the young child who will someday play for hours on end under the shady canopy of that tree.
Likewise, finally taking that “jump” from an airplane that you’ve been putting off year after year to celebrate your 90th birthday likely won’t add any years to your life, but it just might add a little extra life to your remaining years.
I said all of the above to say this: Some of the best things in life are often experienced closer to the end of a lifetime than the beginning.
While the paths each of us choose usually end up taking many forks before we reach our ultimate destinations, it’s never too late to pull out our mental compasses and get back onto our desired path.
And even if getting back on the right path doesn’t end up helping us all that much, it could well end up changing someone else’s life for the better.
Like they say, life is short. Live every day as if you don’t expect there to be a tomorrow.
After all is said and done, I hope you ultimately leave this world striving every day to make up for lost time.
To finish up, here’s a wonderful short video that explains why dreams and goals don’t come with a deadline. Check it out.
Note: You can watch this video at full screen by clicking the little “square” icon in the lower-right corner of the video after it begins playing.