Life: live it or waste it

How long has it been since you let yourself experience a self-perceived impossibility? Why are some of us able to muster the courage to attack inconceivable feats while others tremble at the thought? I’ll let you in on a secret: the only difference between a go-getter and a spectator is frame of mind. Both have a separate outlook toward what they desire to carry out in life, hence why one succeeds while the other gives up. Climbing a mountain, learning a second Language, asking a girl out on a date, paying off a 20 grand debt, starting a business, skydiving, bungee jumping, and running a marathon can all seem impossible; not so for the doer, he/she looks upon the impossible and sees absolute possibility. These people believe in themselves. Through hanging out with these types of folks I’ve come to see how unique they are. Hang with them long enough and they’re tenacity might rub off on you. Life is precious—a gift. Why do so many of us take it for granted? Looking back at my 20′s stings, my middle name might as well have been folly since most of my time was spent foolishly on chicks, drinking, parties, and running around with several packs of idiots. The bottom line is I chose the life I lived throughout the majority of my 20′s. I chose to be less than I could have been. I chose to doubt my self worth. Nowadays the choice is clear. I believe. The statements “I can” and “I will” are embedded deep within me. I choose to see life as a blessing from God, not to be wasted. Too bad it took me 28 years to figure out what a wasted life looks like. For some peeps, arriving at the realization that life is a gift takes time, we don’t all get it right off. My strength however, is not my own, I draw off the source: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). “God has given us the gift of life; the onus is on you to live it.” I know this sounds cliche, but life’s not about buying fancy houses, sleek cars, name brand clothes, and acquiring loads of cash while climbing the ladder of success. No, life my friend, is so much more. Just because everyone around you chooses to settle doesn’t mean you have to. Be unique, forge your own path, surround yourself with like people who also want more out of life, and learn from them. To live is to: Experience life, love, make the first move, face fear, know your limits and push through them, step toward the uncomfortable, challenge adversity, do the impossible, stand up for someone or something you believe in, and… to make the most out of the time you have been given. “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14 TNIV). I love how dog trainer Brad Pattison puts it, “find your inner child and let it loose! Have some fun.” Sure, hard times will come—the one part of life none of us can escape. But, there is another part we can all share in—having fun. It’s never too late to tap into your inner child. “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” - Marcus Aurelius Again, I ask, when was the last time you stepped away from your pedestrian self, fully let go, and lived?