The two obvious obituaries we could write for ourselves

jeff noel's book Mid Life Celebration
Life by design or life by default… intentional or unintentional (very first Mid Life Celebration book)

 

Want to share this challenge with you. If we could write two obituaries, it would be these two:

  1. What it would read like if we made no changes in our life’s approach?
  2. What it would read like we actually did a bunch of the stuff we promised ourselves we would do?

And then after reading our two self-penned obituaries, which one makes us smile, feeling peaceful and contented?

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A life of reaction is a form of personal slavery

Florida vanity license plate label my quest
Everyone starts out on a quest, not everyone finishes successfully. (plate owner unknown)

 

A life of reaction is a form of personal slavery.

Wake up calls have their original in the things we are not proactive with.

We can not stop bad things from happening, yet we can prune and nurture our attitude so that by midlife, we are self-aware in ways others have difficulty comprehending, yet ways everyone is entitled to and empowered to enjoy.

And we are equipped and inspired to be proactive with our mind, body, and spirit, as well as with our career and our dwelling space.

Thinking deeply about this, wouldn’t it be great if there was a short, concise, inspiring, direct, and generous book to use as a guide?

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Say it with me, the clock is always ticking

From last night’s ABC Evening News…

 

07.02.201330 Steve Gleason, famous New Orleans Saints blocked Super Bowl punt and Father with ALS Steve Gleason, famous New Orleans Saints blocked Super Bowl punt and Father with ALS Steve Gleason, famous New Orleans Saints blocked Super Bowl punt and Father with ALS 07.02.201320 Steve Gleason, famous New Orleans Saints blocked Super Bowl punt and Father with ALS Steve Gleason, famous New Orleans Saints blocked Super Bowl punt and Father with ALS Steve Gleason, famous New Orleans Saints blocked Super Bowl punt and Father with ALS Steve Gleason, famous New Orleans Saints blocked Super Bowl punt and Father with ALS Steve Gleason, famous New Orleans Saints blocked Super Bowl punt and Father with ALS Steve Gleason, famous New Orleans Saints blocked Super Bowl punt and Father with ALS Steve Gleason, famous New Orleans Saints blocked Super Bowl punt and Father with ALS

Steve Gleason, famous New Orleans Saints blocked Super Bowl punt and Father with ALS
Steve Gleason, famous New Orleans Saints blocked Super Bowl punt and Father with ALS

 

Say it with me, the clock is always ticking. So the Father in this photo montage was the New Orleans Saints’ player who blocked the punt that allowed them to when the Super Bowl.

Then he got ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Then he set out to capture all the wisdom he wants his baby boy to know.

That’s because odds are high he won’t be around as his boy grows up.

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PS. In a few hours, Mike’s funeral Celebration of Life begins. And expecting later today to hear details on David Gates’ funeral – we grew up living across the street from each other. Mike 46, David, 51.

 

Today’s five posts are about going to hell and back. Twice.

Wall photo of surprised children
This shouldn’t surprise anyone in midlife

 

Most of us have been to hell’s fiery gates and back. Some more than once.

This awful experience can refine an already positive outlook.

Why?

How?

In the depths of our despair our attitude is burned, melted, and ultimately reshaped.

And then reborn.

Everything that once seemed important comes into question.

Everything we believed was important isn’t.

And what we took for granted, gold.

This ripples over into a brand new attitude about wellness.

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How one busy day turns into these three or more things

Freashly planted Florida homeowner landscape
Can’t wait to see this again in 100 days

 

One really busy day turns into another, and another, and another and before you know it, the opportunity to enjoy life’s simplest of pleasure – visiting with a neighbor, walking a pet, planting a vegetable garden – is gone.

And somehow, I stare at the 54 years of life that are now behind me, as of today.

Life is not a dress rehearsal. Of course.

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