Your days are like dollars in a bank account. How you spend them matters.
Some of us will be blessed to have many days ahead of us. Some will have only a few. But regardless of how much life you have left to live, the most important question will always be: how will you choose to spend those days?
Will you choose to play it safe or go for what you want despite the obstacles? Will you strike out boldly on a brand new path or make your transitions in life deliberately and cautiously? Will you end up doing what you love, or doing what you already know how to do, even if it doesn’t bring you satisfaction and fulfillment?
These aren’t easy questions. And we all face them. Well, all of us except those fortunate few who knew from an early age what they wanted to do and made it happen.
I was one of them. I knew from the time I was 12 years old exactly what I wanted to be and do when I grew up. And I did it! My dream was always to be an attorney. God even blessed me and I became a judge, too.
And I loved it until it was time to do something different.
But what got me thinking about this post was the story of a woman I read about. She’s in her 40’s. She has a law degree and teaches at a university. She’s also worked as an administrator at a law firm for years. Most people would agree that she’s had a successful career.
And now she’s just signed up for and been accepted into the police academy.
She’ll be training with 20-year-olds.
That’s bold and an example of fearlessly blazing a new trail. Well, maybe not fearlessly. You know she has to have her doubts and her fears, but she has taken the plunge. She’s courageously walking into the unknown despite her fears.
So, if there’s something out there you really want to do or something you really want to have, go for it! The life you have left is a blank canvas and you can paint as boldly as you want.
Unfortunately, we often don’t do that. Why? Because of the fear of the unknown, the opinions of others, and the practical “realities.”
A while ago, a woman wrote Dear Abby with a question. She had written in to say that she wanted to go to college, but she was 38, and by the time she graduated she’d be 42.
Abby asked her how old she’d be after four years if she didn’t go to college.
Well, you know the answer is still 42.
The point is that those days you’re blessed with will all be spent. The question is how will you spend them?
None of us knows how much time we have here on earth. We should spend it in ways that make us happy – that fulfill our purpose, calling, and assignment.
Remember, in four years, you’ll be four years older. But will you be “richer” for having lived them?
