LAYER, UPON LAYER – THE PREMISE HOLDS
Thursday, June 3, 2021
Life is a perishable commodity, like everything in the greengrocer’s market.
Use it, or waste it.
Every day gets used up. For everybody, no exceptions, and the only question is whether we contributed any value to the world or anyone. However, the beauty of this is that if we realize we wasted yesterday, we can reverse that loss by not wasting this day – today.
Life is not an end that justified any means, but rather whatever means and lengths we go to that justifies and explains the life we lead, the one we get.
Yesterday, as all yesterdays are, now a spent pile, spent choices I cannot change. Can’t get a minute back – I cannot switch out any of my choices (sure, I can take corrective action, apologize, retract – but no un-choices).
Results, consequences, and next steps follow – mostly of my making. But, hopefully, ever the optimist, good works, smiles, laughter, successes, and accomplishments are fueled by and built upon choices made, directions set, and statements made.
Someone told me once, in terms of giving me relationship advice, but I think the premise holds for many other things: this moment, this choice, these unfolding events – are the building blocks on which we build great relationships and create amazing adventures.
Yesterday I put off some things, initiated some actions, discontinued some others, and made a hundred other daily choices.
We all do this daily.
Over time, what builds up – perhaps like oysters coating inside their shells, are layer upon layer of past actions. We cannot undo, cannot peel back layers to make some edits.
Whether our actions are a well-calculated step-by-step process of doing good works, flippant replies/retorts with insufficient thought, or idle chatter – we live it all, we own it all, and the consequences are ours to hold for a day. Or forever.
But forever isn’t real.
And we won’t see it …
Our earth and sun have, barring unforeseen events, 4-6 billion years to go.
We will have about years, give or take 115 (I have dibs on 115).
What then determines where we invest our emotions, energy/labour, and time?
Do we mire ourselves in the news of the day, outrage of the day, or vaccine politics?
This Tuesday, I booked my second shot. Yesterday I got up late after an enormous (in time and quality) sleep, with a fulsome plate of Wednesday things to do. And our, phenomenal!
Rescheduling and postponing is a well-honed craft, so after planning my late afternoon/evening, I pushed everything else forward a day or two.
I headed out for a long bike ride.
I returned, shopped for groceries, did some cooking – and the work was still there, so nothing was lost but so much was gained.
The park was lovely and mostly empty, a mid-afternoon midweek treat – a glorious way to spend a day, fueled by sunshine, good health, pedal-power and anticipation of good things.
Good morning – ready?
Ready, fire, aim …
Reader feedback:
Mark, take care. Sounds like burnout or the beginning. Do what needs to be done to charge the batteries. Deep breath....., LK, Calgary, AB … p.s. My mom use to say something close to this - you need to look after you and caring for others will benefit. Enjoy the day.....