Another Kick in the Tail

Come Alive by Jonathan Mead

Life wastes itself while we are preparing to live. – Ralph Waldo EmersonIf you had one week left to live, would you still be doing what you’re doing now? In what areas of your life are you preparing to live? Take them off your To Do list and add them to a To Stop list. Resolve to only do what makes you come alive.
Bonus: How can your goals improve the present and not keep you in a perpetual “always something better” spiral?
(Author: Jonathan Mead)

Every three months or so I ask myself a version of this question.  The problem with the "One Week Left to Live" scenario lies in the fact that unless I'm living every day as if it were truly my last, I will always have something to change and something I'm not doing.  If I found out today my life would end next Wednesday, I would leave work and drive home listening to bluegrass music--Old Crow Medicine Show for starters.  At home I would call my wife, my family and my friends to give them the news.  I'd probably have a lot of explaining to do and a lot of questions to answer and probably a lot of convincing to do.  I would call people at work and let them know I would be stopping by tomorrow to finish everything that needs finishing and to say my goodbyes.  The rest of the week would be spent in the mountains and at the beach.  I can't write or think about anything else because my imagination's a little too strong and the thought of truly saying goodbye is too much.

So the question is a little silly to me.  What Mr. Mead wants me to do is to create a list of things I will do because there's no point in NOT doing them anymore.  The purpose of this exercise is to spur creativity and free me from the roadblocks I've imposed upon myself.  In that light there are many things I would do differently but these are the top five:

1)  Write the story that's been bouncing around in my head for years.  If it takes 10,000 words or 1,000,000 it needs to see the light of day.
2)  Work on the Habitat for Humanity house our church is working on.  How many more times will I say "next weekend" until the house is finished and I've done nothing to help?
3)  Take dance lessons with my wife.  This is WAY overdue.
4)  Learn how to play the banjo and form a band to play with.  Nothing fancy, no recordings, only for the love of creating and playing music.
5)  Go to Oregon to visit my brother.

So, if I change this from a "To-Do" list to a "Stop-Doing" list, this is what it would look like:

1)  Stop making excuses for why I can't write.  I have the time.  I have the talent.  Get to work.
2)  Stop putting it off.  I'm not doing anything this Saturday.  Looks like a good day to have a hammer in my hand.
3)  Stop making excuses.  There's more than enough money and time for this and much more.
4)  Stop limiting yourself and stop forgetting the amazing musicians that surround me.
5)  Stop saying "I want to..." and start saying "I will..."  See #3 and start putting money away.

This blog grew out of a desire to start living the life I want and running came from that same urge.  I've left both of them behind and I can feel the pull.  Time to get back on the road and see where it takes me.

Ryan