Life is Long. Most of you will probably disagree with that, especially my family after the long year we have all had. Most people think that life is short, and in the case of death it is. Once you die, then life becomes short, up until that moment, Life is Long. Confused? Let me explain, but first some background information.
Back in January we were re-locating some equipment. The boss was off so I was in charge. I mostly just had to stand around while the electricians, alarm company, carpenters, movers, etc did most of the work. I had to make a few decisions but nothing to drastic. This is all taking place on busy College Ave. in State College PA. Of course everyone's work was distracted from time to time by the young college girl walking down the sidewalk, everyone would look and someone would almost always make a comment. The only person seemingly not effected by this was the Property Manager for the building we were working in. He was all business. On the final day as we were wrapping things up he & I were just having idle conversation. As a pretty girl walked by outside he casually mentioned "I love working in this town". After that we got talking briefly about life, career, marriage, things like that. Then he said something very interesting and profound. "Life is Long".
Up until this point I have always been a believer in Life is Short. He told me that him and his wife always argue about this. She is one of those "Life is short" kind of people. He explained that when he was younger he had cancer and now he was cured. He got married in his 30's when most people already have a divorce. That last part sounded very familiar to me. Making any sense yet?
I wish I could repeat everything he said, but I will do the best to summarize and add a little bit of my own. People get married, then divorced, then remarried. You start a business, go bankrupt, and always have the opportunity to start a new one. Life is ever changing and even though it can be short, it is long enough that you can adapt and change with it. You learn from your mistakes and do better the next time. If you always wanted to go sky diving, well there is still time. If life was short you would have to settle for 2nd best because you may not have enough time to wait for the right moment, but Life Is Long, so hold out for the best it has to offer. A lot of people, including myself are guilty of short changing themselves.
You can find Love, Hope, Forgiveness or Happiness at any moment. There is always a 2nd chance. Live life like every day could be your last, because it could. Just remember to live you life like there is going to be a wonderful tomorrow, because it will be. There is of course a negative side to this as well. Tragedy is inevitable. No matter how long your life is, it will eventually get short. Now don't think I'm trying to preach "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy blowing smoke up your butt", that's not what this blog is about. Its about second chances and making up for missed opportunities. If you have regrets in your life, don't dwell on it, fix it. You cant succeed without failure. Don't forget the past, those that forget the past are condemned to repeat it, but learn to let those old things go and move on to what comes next.
Just remember to live life like it is long, until the day it gets short.
2 comments:
We are the sum of all matter and all events—all past and all present. The genetics of our predecessors—those already previously to walk on the earthen soil determine our own skin, hair, and eye color; height; weight; and health—those are already predetermined—summed together—by the genetics of evolution. That too and the events of all history before our own—which is really our own—and our life history—and the present writing of our history—all summed together. And that sum always already multiples itself by the possibilities of the infinite. By such a dynamic equation with all its variables, we can never truly define ourselves. One event—one person—one word can exponentially change us forever.
If we are the sum of all that has already and all that is already, multiplying that sum by 2 produces a dramatic transformation. Take 2 + 2, which equals 4. The sum of two of the same—doubles—not remaining constant. Then, multiplying 4 by 2 produces 8. Then taking 8 to the power of 2, continues the metamorphosis with a much more dramatic product of 64. From 2, we become 64. Life changes in an instant—we change in an instant: the real definition of ourselves. The only constant variable in it all is how we accept the nature of our dynamic infinite beingness—the absurdity which cannot be solved—life.
My equation includes you, all those before you, and all those after you. As I am included in your equation—Our success in life and even love depends upon what we multiple it with from our past.
It appears as if you are now multiplying the positive and dividing the negative by the product. It’s only a matter of time before you—and all else becomes infinite—and after all, you have an entire lifetime to get there—and since “Life is Long,” we have plenty of time to redefine the variables in our own equations—however separate they have become.
k+b+m
Interesting!! It's kind of like the 'glass half-empty vs half-full'.
The Bible even supports what you just wrote. "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. Isaiah 43:18 (NIV)
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, Phil 3:13 (NIV)
And you are exactly right. Live today as if it is your last. But live and plan as if your life will go on for years.
AJ
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