Take Time To Live

It was once said, “Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.”

What a beautiful approach to life this is. Yes, no one has the perfect circumstances, but we all possess the wonderful gift of life. However, like most possessions, it’s not what we have, but what we do with what we have that makes the difference.

The “rat race,” “the hustle and bustle” of everyday life, pursuing “the American dream” (whatever you want to call it), all lead us down a road where our routine and schedule are so rigid and demanding that we no longer have the time to live the life we were given. We forget about what brings us joy and only focus on what pays the bills or what will get us that promotion, and so on. Moreover, life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter. The list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of “I’m going to,” “I plan on,” and “Someday.”

If this is that state you have found yourself in or if it resembles a close friend or family member, stop for a few moments and contemplate the following message:

• Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground?
• Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
• Do you run through each day on the fly?
• When you ask, “How are you?” Do you hear the reply?
• When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head?
• Ever told your child, “We’ll do it tomorrow,” and in your haste, not see his sorrow?
• Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say “Hi”?
• When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift -Thrown away.
• Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

Live Your Life – It’s Your Choice

The key to enjoying life to the full can be summed up in one word – Perspective. You see, one of the most significant discoveries to enjoying life is to realize that ‘you decide.’ You decide what kind of day you will have and what kind of life you will live. Most things that happen are the result of decisions we make and actions we take.

However, what if we find ourselves in an “impossible” situation? Then consider alternative ways to reach the same goal – even if it takes a little longer, and is a less direct path. Never lose sight of the goal; just take a different tack. A broad perspective, coupled with a spirit of determination, can help us overcome any obstacle.

Consider The Example Of Wilma Rudolph.

AT BIRTH, Wilma Rudolph was tiny and sickly. She was four before she started to walk. Then she became seriously ill with scarlet fever and pneumonia. Although she survived, her left leg suffered paralysis. Determined that Wilma would walk, her mother massaged her wasted leg and taught three of her older children to do the same. The family took turns, four shifts each day.

When Wilma was eight, she was able to walk with a leg brace. Soon she was running and playing. She was determined to overcome her disability. Exercise helped her, and so did her mother’s advice: “Never give up.” Wilma didn’t. In 1960, at the Olympics in Rome, Italy, she received three gold medals. She won the 100 and 200-meter foot races and came in first in the final leg of the 400-meter relay.

• “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” (Thomas Alva Edison)
• “So let us NOT GIVE UP in doing what is fine, for in due season we shall reap if we do not tire out.” – (Galatians 6:8-9)
• “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” (Albert Einstein)
• “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” (Thomas Alva Edison)
• “You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” – (George Horace Lorimer)

The Lesson?

Life is a precious gift. A famous African proverb reminds us that “when there is life, there is hope.” So, live life to the full. Pursue worthwhile goals today; don’t put them off until tomorrow. Adjust to new circumstances and be determined to make the most of them.

For more inspiration, watch this video of one of our patients who battled prostate cancer: