Forty years ago my husband’s class of 1969 turned their tassels to walk into the world…full of dreams, hopes, and ambitions. It has been two days since the reunion, and I still haven’t recovered from all that soaked into my eyes and senses that night. What happened to those dreams? How did life pass so many by?
As I walked through the door, I almost gasped. Surely we must be at the wrong event. These people are much too old.
An overwhelming feeling of sadness washed over me as I scanned the room full of unknown faces throughout the evening. I watched as the classmates struggled to identify each other, gasping at their discoveries. I witnessed far too many stooped, overweight bodies, too many with the lights out behind their eyes, too many showing evidence they are simply shuffling through life, too many so much older than their stated years.
And yet, how invigorating to see the contrast of some of the classmates, to capture the excitement and enthusiasm in their voices, to watch them physically dance the night away to the old tunes of the 60’s. What has been different about their lives? What made the contrast so distinct?
Thousands and thousands across America just finished turning their tassels. What will the next forty years bring? What will their eyes witness forty years from now when they walk into their reunion?
What an incentive to wake up! There is so much life to be devoured, to be enjoyed! No matter your age, you’ve got a lot of living to do! It is never too late to live the life you’ve always dreamed of.
This morning I watched a presentation by Steve Manning who said that if you are on the planet, you have a life story to write. Steve said people will ask him, “What if I don’t have anything interesting to write about?” His answer? “Start doing something interesting with your life now!
What can you do today to start living? What is one thing you can do to break the monotony, to start to pull yourself up out of the rut, if you’re in one? Can you call a friend and strike up a deal to create an action plan together?
Perhaps a journey toward good health may be a place to start? It is difficult to enjoy life if you don’t feel well. The goal of my upcoming book, The Awakened Body, is to send the message, “Yes! No matter your age, you can feel alive, full of vigor and vitality!”
Jack Canfield teaches us to make a list of 101 things we want to do before we die. Why not start making that list today? Why not then pick one of those items and begin a plan of action to make it happen?
The “Bye Bye Birdie” musical has such a powerful message for all of us:
Oh, Life’s a ball
if only you know it,
And it’s all just waiting for you.
You’re alive,
So come on and show it.
We got a lot of livin’,
Such a lot of livin,’
Got a lot of livin’ to do!
