Not too long ago, I was on my way to a client. It was just after noon and I was at a red light when I heard the crash. That sickening, crunching sound filled the air and I whipped my head around to see a silver minivan being pushed so hard by the oncoming blue SUV that it began to roll over… and over… and over… and over. I sat frozen as I imagined the terror the driver must be feeling and wondered if his seatbelt was holding him safely in place. And when the van finally stopped rolling over, it spun around on its hood a few times. And as I watched in horror, I saw a sea of people who were close to the scene pouring from their vehicles and I could see them retrieve the driver of the van. They got him out through the window somehow. This all happened within maybe ten seconds.
My body began to shake. I was shocked at how life can radically change in the blink of an eye. Those drivers left their homes that morning with all the casual abandon that routine brings. They were you and me, they were our brothers and sisters, our children; and in an instant… KAPOW! Life will never be the same again.
It took about 30 minutes for the shaking to stop. I was aware of every sound, every movement on the road around me. I could not shake the notion of how arbitrary it seemed. And in that moment it was so clear to me that this was a reminder to live life full out.
Why hold back? At any moment, the life we know can crack open and fall apart. It’s the best reason I know to take hold of life and ride it full out with all of its ups and downs, joys and sorrows. Do you see life as a downward spiral into old age or an upward arc into eldering? What are your dreams? What did you always put off “until tomorrow”? Why not do it now? Right here, right now, this very moment is the only thing you have control over. You get to choose what you want to do. What about tomorrow? It’s filled with possibilities, while yesterday is a memory.
There’s no time like the present to connect to the truth that every breath we take is our opportunity to be more, do more and contribute more. Be a Savvy Senior. Take advantage of the time you have here and now. Know your passion. Know your life’s purpose.
