My 2 a.m. seven-year freak out

It all started when I realized it was time to upgrade my Mac’s operating system to Yosemite.  I’ve been waiting for the kinks to get worked out, listening to my trusty Mac wonder woman’s advice. So it’s finally time, and I get ready to press the update button…

… Until I click on the little apple icon and realize with a shock that my computer is too old to handle it. I bought my laptop in 2008 – seven years ago.  I could have sworn that was only a few years ago. And then it hit me – seven years has gone by in the blink of an eye. I couldn’t believe it.

Then I had one of those 2 a.m. bouts of insomnia and you know what the mind will do at 2 a.m. Not pretty.

I started doing the math. Seven years. If the last 7 years went by in such a flash, the next 7 will surely go by even faster. And the next. And pretty soon the next. And before you know it, four rounds of 7 years will have gone by and I’ll be 91. S#&!! Well, actually I used another word.

I’ve certainly grappled with my mortality before. Turning 60 was a milestone – one of those birthdays when it really does start to sink in that you’re not going be around forever.

But this 2 a.m. freak out – well, I’ll tell you what it did. It lit a fire under my butt. If seven years are going to zip by in a flash, then they better well be the seven best years of my life.  No time for procrastination, that’s for sure. No time for regrets, or not going for it. No time not to live my life full heartedly, with as much vulnerability, passion, love, gratitude and compassion as I can muster.

The truth is, we have no idea how much precious time we have left in this body, on this planet. We have no idea what’s next. So I, for one, am going to make sure that I live my next 7 years with total gusto.

And you, dear fellow sojourner, what do you want your next 7 years to look like?






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