Making the Most of It

What are your dreams for the future? Who do you want to be? What do you want to do? How you you want to impact those around you? How do you want to be remembered? If you knew today was your last day, what would you do with it? Who would you choose to spend it with? Where would you go?

Those are some of the more obvious things that you would likely have quick answers for. But I want to encourage you to take that train of thought a bit farther.

Who would you wish you had apologized to about that thing you did that you didn't feel the need to apologize for, but deep down you really knew you should apologize for? Who would you wish you had forgiven when they apologized to you instead of getting all huffy and angry about whatever it was they were apologizing for?

Who would you have wished you could have spent more time with instead of saying you would get more time "later," when "things calm down"? (Here's a little secret: things don't slow down.) Who do you wish you could have gotten to know better (beyond your daily conversation of "How are you?" "Fine, thanks. You?" "Fine, thanks.")? Where do you wish you would have gone? What do you wish you would have learned?

Are you living every moment with the knowledge that you're not guaranteed tomorrow, or do you keep putting things off until the ever-elusive "someday"? Are your words and actions aligning with your passions and dreams? Are the things you spend your time doing bringing you closer to achieving your goals? Are you making the most of every precious moment you're given?

A life spent passionately pursuing your dreams is the kind of life that's really worth living. It's difficult, to be sure, but the best things in life are worth fighting for. And it's something to be proud of when you look back on your life. If we're honest, we would all far rather get the chance to look back upon a life of daring, adventurous risks, with their accompanying challenges and mistakes, than a life of routine and boredom that had no joy woven into the daily humdrum activity of it. But we must change our behaviors if we want to change the outcome. How are you going to begin to work to make your dreams a reality, starting today?

Let's live out our dreams. Let's take real steps (no matter how small) toward making them a reality. Let's not let dreaming just be for kids. Let's be done living dull, dreamless lives. Let's decide right here, right now, that we are going to run after our dreams, full speed ahead. Let's not let another day go by without at least an ounce of passion in it. Let's dream and dream big. And then, let's do things.

Dream. Do.