Last night I couldn’t fall asleep immediately.
I was laying awake thinking about all the things in my life that could give me stress or cause me to be cynical.
- I worry about money sometimes.
- I worry about the state of the world: climate change, poverty, inequality, etc.
Then Paul Walker crossed my mind. It occurred to me that he could’ve been thinking similar things in bed the night before his fatal car crash. He might’ve been planning something amazing. He might’ve been taking tomorrow, or next week for granted.
Similarly, my mom was in a car accident on my last day of high school, that she survived, but it forever altered the trajectory of her life, and my own. Earlier that day I’d met her for lunch, I took for granted that I’d see her for dinner later on that day.
None of it was in the forecast. None of it was planned. It just happened.
I think sometimes we get caught up in the day to day, and we forget how quickly everything can change.
- I get wrapped up in the vision of where my company will go,
- where my life will go;
- when I’ll have kids…or IF I’ll have kids;
- who I’ll marry…or IF I’ll remarry?
The knowledge that none of these future plans are guaranteed is very sobering, and very humbling.
So when I think these things I can’t help but appreciate today, and strive to be grateful for tomorrow.
I’m 33 and healthy, I’ve got an amazing company, with amazing clients, doing work that I love.
But since it can all change in an instant…thank you for today.