An Approach To Living

We are all dying; some of us slowly and some of us more quickly. It is sad that many of us are so focused on the petty struggles of the day that we forget to live. There are many amongst us who live as if they were the walking dead, marching though life focused on the wrong things, forgetting to treasure life, forgetting to extract every moment of joy from whatever it is that life has given. I am taking an approach to living, not dying. I want to live before I die.

This is more for my children than anyone else. It is just a part of what I want them to take as lessons from my life, as a view of my view. So here goes.

Never ever give up. I stole this line from a cancer victim, Jesse Rees. You are going to wake up each morning, until you don't. Along the way life will present challenges and joys. Treasure the joys, solve the challenges, and never, ever, ever quit. When you quit trying, you start dying.

Live life fully. Don't set aside treasures and pleasures for some future day that may never come. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy clothes. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special. Each day will only happen once, and when the days are done, there are no more. Find the joy in each and every one of them.

No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. Life is run by those who show up. The biggest part of success is in showing up. Show up for your life, be there, participate in it. Don't be a spectator in life's journey, don't be an emotional tourist. Get up and take part. Be purposeful, be enthusiastic; show up!

Live strategically. Ask yourself where you want to be and do the things you need to do to get there. Continually ask yourself what you want and where you want to go. Then act in accordance with that. Plan, plan, and plan some more; then, when things happen, go with the flow and work with your plan. In other words, be purposeful in your actions and always act in alignment with your life goals.

It's never too late to be happy. It’s up to you. Nobody else will make you happy. No things, possessions, drugs, distractions; happiness will not come from these outside things. It must come from within you. If you are unhappy, make the changes necessary to be happy. Seek it actively in yourself; look for those things inside yourself and change them. Rid yourself of those things that cause you to be unhappy. Suffer willingly the consequences of those changes, for when you point the ship of your life to a place that makes you happy, it's worth it.

When in doubt, throw a party. No matter how broke you are, you can always share the treasure of good company and good friends. Parties don't have to be costly; potlucks with people you enjoy are the best kind of parties. Some days are natural celebrations and when those days are not today, invent a celebration. Celebrate something, anything; celebrate the day of the week, watch a show or a game together on TV, play cards, tell stories, laugh.