21 Jun We Mortals

living every moment to its maximum

A revelation came to me the other day while on a long and steep bike ride. I realized, I am not getting out of this alive. Not the bike ride, but, life. None of us are getting out of here alive. While this is a walk we all take alone, it is also the thread of commonalty we all have. No matter how much money or how much faith you have everything living eventually passes including you. This is the downside, I guess. The reason I say guess, is that death is a great mystery to us all and has been since mans realization of himself and his own mortality. It is something we mortal face with trepidation. Life is ephemeral… short lived and they say just a flash.

All we have is right now, this moment. The past is gone and the future does not exist but, right now is our gift and that is why it is call the present. We are all in the same boat, the playing field is level, we all have the same gift… being in the present.

Making the Most of our Present
Since right now is all we have, it would make since that we should make the most of what we have, right now.

Here are some great tips that may inspire you to maximize your human experience. If nothing on this list rings true for you, create your own list and begin now.

Start a business
I come from a long lineage of entrepreneurs. And while breaking out on your own can be a feast or famine situation the sense of freedom is creates is priceless.

Starting a business puts you in control of your work life, and your money. It’s hard ; small businesses fail every day. But the rewards of even a failed venture can far outweigh the risk. Just knowing that your failure was the result of your own choices instead of a decision made at a corporate office a thousand miles away can be liberating.

Organize a group
What makes you passionate? Chances are, being around other people who are passionate about the same thing would make you even more passionate about it. Often the only thing keeping you and them from coming together is that nobody’s put out a sign saying “Come and talk!” Getting a group going has never been easier with the like of web sites like MeetUp.com. login and check it out. Seeing a group grow and take off can be tremendously awarding. Even if you group does not take off it can teach you amazing lessons in leadership.

Volunteer
I don’t mean for you to spend your holidays at a soup kitchen, though that can often be rewarding yet challenging enough. Make a long-term investment in your community by joining school committees, donating three hours a week in a shelter, hosting a monthly read-along at the library, tutoring at-risk children after school, teaching adult literacy classes, or any of a million ways to play a role in the lives of people who need you. Perhaps the most pressing need in our society is for people to take an interest in and engage with their communities.
Take an active role in your children’s’ activities. Pick one thing your child does and commit yourself to it. Coach their team, spend a weekend day in the workshop with them, buy a bike and ride along with them; make their passions your own. Don’t crowd them, especially if you have teenagers but, show them that you value what they do and who they are by giving them your time and undivided interest.

Write a book or blog
It feels really, really good to see your name on a book cover or on the header of a blog, but it feels even better to know that someone, somewhere, might find his or her life changed by something you’ve written. Share your particular expertise, whether it’s story-telling or woodworking, with the world or just your family. Commit yourself to a page a day, a couple hundred words and within a year you’ll have a pretty decent-sized manuscript. Think it and ink it!

Learn an art
Take painting lessons, a glass blowing workshop, music classes… whatever interests you. Learn to express yourself and you will find a self worth expressing. Don’t settle for being a second rate, devote yourself to an art and master it.

Run for office
The world needs smart, dedicated, and honest people to take care of all the details of making society run. As it happens, running for local office isn’t as challenging as you’d think. Filmmaker and director, Michael Moore, ran for school board while he was still in high school and won. It’s fine to have your sights set on the White House or Capitol Hill, but take a shot at city councilperson, county registrar, or something closer to home first. You can do it.

Take up a team sport
Sure, you want to be healthy, but the whole Stairmaster and stationary bike thing is a little anti-social. Add a team sport to the mix… something you do with other people. You’ll be spending time interacting with others, while also developing team building and leadership skills.

Set an outrageous goal and accomplish it
The tips above are only a handful of ideas about how to maximize your human experience. Maybe you want to record an album, climb a mountain or see 20 countries, don’t just settle for small goals, push yourself all the way to the edge and figure out how to make the most farfetched thing you can think of a reality. You will have to learn a lot along the way, and plan months or even years in advance, that’s what makes massive goals worthwhile.

Be in the moment with all things, welcome life’s grand experiences in, embrace them and above all create your own reality.

Here’s to your rich beautiful life.