Quite frequently I ask myself "am I doing what really matters?" I've internalized the truth that time is short likely because I have so much that I want to do before my time is up. I don't have a familiar 'bucket list' of items to check off. I simply want to ensure that my daily life is meaningful with each step and breath that I take. I want every ounce of talent that I have to be used well and used up. Perhaps the death of my mother and other loved ones created my thirst for life's cherry Kool-Aid - sometimes with too much sugar and sometimes not. It still tastes good just the same.
A jolt of reality brought me face-to-face with how fast time flies when I realized that my daughter was turning double digits. It seems like yesterday that I held her for the first time yet she is tangible proof that 10 years have passed. This realization brought into sharp focus the question of doing what matters.
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“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.”
Michael Landon Jr.
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So what does it mean to do what matters?
For me doing what matters means challenging my status quo and pushing myself beyond any boundaries that I've previously set or breaking down barriers that may have been built around me. I wasn't meant to play it safe because somehow safe feels wrong. I find a sense of security in taking risks and in pioneering new pathways. My passion is ignited by the 'unknown' and my purpose is to discover useful ways to convert the 'unknown' into viable solutions that improve lives. How do I know? Because it's all that I've ever been or done - and all that I ever want to do.
It's easy to get sidetracked...
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“...many times we are pushed into functioning in an area that is not our highest and best use because somebody needed us to be something that we were not created to be...”
Bishop T.D. Jakes
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Right now what matters most to me is focusing on being the best mom that I can be for my daughter - hovering, hugging, cajoling, pushing, soothing, commenting, role-modeling, scheduling, and investigating next steps for her education and for her career. Yes - she's only 10 years old, but if history is any indication of speed then she'll be 20 years old before I can blink (and I'll be 10 years older!...) so there's not a moment to waste!
What really matters to you?
Is it family, health, career, wealth, education, community, business, contribution, problem-solving, relationships, friends, supporting others, or all of the above and more?
Are you doing what really matters right now? If not, when do you plan to start?
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