My dad always tells me, “Gena remember tomorrow is not promised, you could wake up with a tag on your toe”. Blunt, yes but true? HELL YES. Sometimes we can get lost in the sauce and forget how short and valuable life is. One of the best concerts I’ve ever been to was Alicia Keys. She has a song that rang true and hit me hard when it was played at my friend’s funeral in high school. In the song there is a line that says, “I don't wanna forget the present is a gift”. How true is that? I know sometimes I wake up in a bad mood, I take the day for granted, I take the people I meet for granted, I take what I do for granted. How many of us say “oh I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed”. AT LEAST YOU WOKE UP, THERE IS NO WRONG SIDE OF THE BED AS LONG AS YOU WAKE UP.
I had a friend in high school, star football player, healthy as a horse (or so they thought), twin, had an amazing family and his faith in God was unreal. One day during his freshman year of high school he was at a birthday party with his twin when his heart gave out. He died in the ambulance. A freshman in high school…..he was so young and had so much talent. His funeral was so massive that the auditorium in our high school couldn’t hold all the people. The football team carried in his casket with his jersey draped over it. I think back to that funeral and all the people he touched in his short life. Have you ever thought who would be at your funeral? Who will drive to be there, who will fly, who will take the time out of their day to celebrate your life. WHO HAVE YOU TOUCHED?
We have the ability every day to change someone’s life, to change our life. You are never too old to start something new; you are never too off course to begin again, YOU ARE NEVER NOT ABLE TO BEGIN TO LOVE THE LIFE YOU LIVE. Every day is a fresh start to begin again and realize the present is a gift. So let me ask you this…..are you doing what you love? ARE YOU WAKING UP EVERYDAY DOING SOMETHING THAT SETS YOUR SOUL ON FIRE? If you die tomorrow can you go out saying “I lived my best life”? I asked my mentor yesterday what his last words would be and what he said slapped me in the face… he replied, “Gena, all I would say is “Thank you””. CAN YOUR LAST WORDS BE THANK YOU? Why wake up and go to a job that you don’t like, why hangout with people who bring you down, why be stuck in a relationship that doesn’t better you? We always think oh I’ll do it tomorrow or I’ll do it another time but STOP PUTTING OFF WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY. STOP PUTTING OFF YOUR LIFE.
I’m the worst at this, “I’ll start my diet tomorrow”, “I’ll stop talking to this person next time they say something mean”, “I’ll go on another mission trip later on”. WHY DO WE STARVE OURSELVES FROM THINGS THAT WILL FEED WHO WE ARE? THERE IS NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT. I made a promise to myself this month that I’ll do what Gena wants to do. If it doesn’t better me, then I have no time for it. I started a new job and I LOVE IT. I stopped putting God off; I stopped putting myself off… I AM LIVING IN THE NOW.
YOUR LIFE IS A GIFT, OPEN IT.
START NOW, START TODAY, START LIVING YOUR LIFE AND WHILE YOU DO THAT YOUR AUDITORIUM WILL FILL UP.
Do what you love. If you need help getting started email me. I’d love to talk to you all about life and getting started because sometimes we need a push. I’m here for you, now get off whatever device you’re on and start your day.