The luckiest guy in the world
Who would that be? Well me of course. It was always this way, but I didn't know it until these last six - ten years or so, when I had my eyes blown open. Six years ago today, a very very good friend killed himself. This was such a shocking event, that it completely changed what I do every single day since.
No more taking life for granted. I have this one wild beautiful opportunity at life, and for far too long the glass felt like it was half (¾!) empty. Now I realize that it was almost always mostly full, and I just was so ridiculously blind to what it contained. I think it was Mark Sanborn who said, "one day in the future, you would give almost anything to have what you have today." That blindness, that unawareness of all that is within my grasp today is deadly business.
No more living in the future. When Mark killed himself, I could not fathom what had been lost. We ran marathons together, traveled across Europe together, worked together, rode bicycles together, laughed together, and so much more. But my nearly terminal future-focus, diminished all the nows and immediacy of all those great moments I had with Mark . . . I thought that there would always be more in the future, and that reduces the power of this moment. I live in the now far more than before.
No more working with people I don't like. Life is short under the best of circumstances, and far far too short when we take matters into our own hands. It became clear that I could no longer work and share my life in significant ways with those I don't like. Not everyone has this power and control over their lives, and it is one more reason I am one of the luckiest guys in the world.
I could list so many more factors that make me the luckiest guy in the whole world, my lovely bride, kids, grandkids, my dad is still with us, and so many other great relationships, but its the one I lost that made me realize what I had.
Who would that be? Well me of course. It was always this way, but I didn't know it until these last six - ten years or so, when I had my eyes blown open. Six years ago today, a very very good friend killed himself. This was such a shocking event, that it completely changed what I do every single day since.
No more taking life for granted. I have this one wild beautiful opportunity at life, and for far too long the glass felt like it was half (¾!) empty. Now I realize that it was almost always mostly full, and I just was so ridiculously blind to what it contained. I think it was Mark Sanborn who said, "one day in the future, you would give almost anything to have what you have today." That blindness, that unawareness of all that is within my grasp today is deadly business.
No more living in the future. When Mark killed himself, I could not fathom what had been lost. We ran marathons together, traveled across Europe together, worked together, rode bicycles together, laughed together, and so much more. But my nearly terminal future-focus, diminished all the nows and immediacy of all those great moments I had with Mark . . . I thought that there would always be more in the future, and that reduces the power of this moment. I live in the now far more than before.
No more working with people I don't like. Life is short under the best of circumstances, and far far too short when we take matters into our own hands. It became clear that I could no longer work and share my life in significant ways with those I don't like. Not everyone has this power and control over their lives, and it is one more reason I am one of the luckiest guys in the world.
I could list so many more factors that make me the luckiest guy in the whole world, my lovely bride, kids, grandkids, my dad is still with us, and so many other great relationships, but its the one I lost that made me realize what I had.
