Fading Fast

They're all dead. Well, not all. But most. I like to look at life, as a day. And there are 24 hours in a day. And at age 57, using that analogy, it's going on 8:00 pm. My day is fading fast. I've lost a lot of family members recently. My wife has lost a lot as well. So, it should come as know surprise why we live the way we do. It's a simple life. The goal is happiness and to be of service. Very little else matters.

We are set to go on our 31st trip in the past 36 months. We travel as much as we can. Because memories are one of the few things that we can take when we go...meaning when we die. Neither of us is impressed with fancy cars, clothes, jewelry or money. Give me a cup of honesty and a good sunset, and I am content. That's really all it takes. I make a good living, yet we live in a very small house, and do more meaningful things with our money.

At the end of the year, I received a nice little bonus from a consulting job. I told my wife, with that, I wanted to give it to the Native American Indian culture center down the road. {We both feel connected to the Native American Indian way.} Without hesitation, she agreed. In fact, our entire 2 decade marriage, we have given away quite a lot of money. I say that not to make a show, but to show you that our values are on non material things.

So 24 hours in a day, right? My day is fading fast. I like to write, pray, meditate and do yoga. I have had an extraordinary life. Made a bunch of money, traveled to far away lands, loved many and had very high times, as well as very low. And lifetime of meditation has taught me that time and health, are our most valuable commodities. We enter into the new year and all my friends are making resolutions. I don't, as I have been blessed with years of meditating under my belt, and that has led to a Zen like trance. I am truly so incredibly blessed.

Stepping outside the box, if I were to set a resolution, it would be to listen more deeply. While listening is one of my superpowers {it's what I do for a job}, I want every exchange to be sacred. I want to honor you. You're in my life for a reason. And now I want to tell you that I love you. I am big on that. I tell most everybody that I love them. Why? 24 Baby...my 24 is fading fast.

I'll end with this. Find what is important to you and run as fast as you can to it. Make memories, not money. Make love, not war. {Yes, I am showing my age.} Expand your thinking to be bigger than yourself. The most alive you will ever feel, is knowing that someone is alive because of you. And if you want to super size that feeling, not needing a "thank you" is the true definition of service. Like the student said to the teacher, Teacher, what do you feel about others? The teacher replied, "There are no others." There is just life. And we're all connected. And before you know it. You'll blink your eyes and it will be over. So love hard. Because we're all fading fast.?