I’ve been inspired lately by Tim McGraw’s song, “Live Like You Were Dying.” The song is about a man who has just found out from an x-ray that the end of his life could be very near. The song takes you through how this man began to live his life differently because of the news he’d received. The part of the song that I love the most goes like this: “And I loved deeper. And I spoke sweeter. And I gave forgiveness I’ve been denying. –And I watched an eagle as it was flying. Someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying.“
What would you do differently with your life beginning right now if it were true for you that the end of your life was very near? Stop and make a list of all the things you want to be, do, and have. Be sure to include all of those things that you say, “I’ll do, be, or have that someday.”
We too often wait for “someday” to come in order to do, have, and be the many things we want so dearly in life. Sadly, for many of us, “someday” never comes. For some of us, someday comes because we get a “wake up call”, like finding out that we only have so much time left to live. And it may be that at that time, what is important in our lives comes clearly into focus. Our values become clearly defined, and then we begin to have an intense motivation and energy to move into hyper drive toward completing and being all of the things on our “someday” list.
But why wait for a wake up call? If you already “live like you were dying,” someday is everyday. Why not begin at this very moment to really live every moment of your life seeing tomorrow as a gift. Be who you really want to be, do the things you hold yourself back from, and allow yourself to have all the goodness in life that you deny yourself. Forgive, love, share, smile, notice, laugh, feel, plan, reflect, help, risk, and LIVE.
Coaching Inquiries: How can you begin today to live like you were dying? What have you done with your life? What do you appreciate most about your life at this time? In your life, what things do you take for granted? What would it be like for you to really see tomorrow as a gift everyday?
