“If you want your life to
be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and
every day you have opportunity to write a new page.”
Mark
Houlahan
I’ve Been
Thinking . . . about the difference between being rich and living a rich life.
Samuel Beckett
wrote a play in 1940’s entitled Waiting for Godot. The play is now considered a classic. The play involves two men standing on an
empty stage, hands in their pockets, staring at each other. That’s it!
All they do is stand and stare.
There is no plot, no action, no smooth transition to reveal the mystery
of their behavior. They just stand there
waiting for Godot to come.
So, who is
Godot? Is there some symbolism
here? Does Godot represent God? Is there a hidden message just waiting to
surface? Apparently not. As the play ends, those men are still
standing on the stage doing nothing, just waiting.
During the 50th
anniversary celebration of the play, someone asked Mr. Beckett, “Now will you
tell us who Godot is?” He answered, “How
should I know?”
Waiting for
Godot represents the
dilemma in many people’s lives. There is
a pointless waiting, anticipating, and meaningless pursuit of something that
will turn our lives around. The more we
wait the more futile and restless our lives become.
Today’s culture
certainly celebrates the successful pursuit of people who achieve this world’s
wealth and riches. We put their pictures
on magazines, write full-length articles about their success and build
pedestals in our mind for them to stand on.
Numerous books, television infomercials and amassing riches schemes lure
the wealthy want-to-be into believing that once achieved; riches will turn
their lives around. Yet, even the rich
and famous haven’t necessarily achieved a rich, fulfilled, meaningful life.
Living a rich
life; one that’s filled with precious moments, valuable experiences, and a
wealth of splendid memories isn’t possible by standing on a stage waiting for
“Godot” to come. Getting what you want
out of life doesn’t suddenly appear by waiting for a miracle to happen. Although we are placed on this earth to live,
few people understand the magnitude of what awaits those who understand what it
means to really enjoy living, relish every minute, and acquire the habit of
proactively putting life into their living.
Life
can be described a lot of ways.
Sometimes it’s boring, sometimes life is just okay, sometimes it is
exciting, sometimes it is funny, sometimes life is demanding, sometimes it is
just plain hard, and sometimes it is unexplainable. Whatever your description of any given day, the
richness of life is ultimately what you make of it.
An army chaplain
was walking a convicted soldier to the gallows to be hanged. On the way, the chaplain said to the soldier,
“Things will be much better in heaven for you.”
“Do
you really believe that?” asked the soldier.
“Why,
yes I do,” replied the chaplain.
“Then
switch places with me,” said the soldier, “because I like it here.”
Although
we might mentally concur with the soldier “we like it here,” our lifestyles
often reflect an attitude of life being unfair or believing things should be
better. Still others are in a continual struggle to find the good life.
I
happen to agree with the chaplain that heaven will certainly be a better place,
but I’m also convinced I have a responsibility to make the most of every
moment, appreciate the opportunities, and pursue the possibilities of living
each and every day.
I don't know your particular situation, age, profession or personal information, but I do know you can become one of those fulfilled people who have determined the richness of your life. One who has decided that just drifting through life and staying alive isn't enough. There is a curiosity to determine how your life will work out and you've made a profound commitment to enjoy the journey. Begin navigating your way through the opportunities, obstacles, adversities, and dreams.
Today
is a great day. Live it. Love it.
Learn from it. Savor the richness
of each moment. Invest in your future by
investing first of all in today. Every
decision, action, attitude or investment you make in today will dramatically
impact the quality of tomorrow. Now is a
great time to put a healthy down payment on tomorrow.
It’s tempting to sit and
wait for life to come to you. But it
can’t. It’s too busy. Life is out there. You have to go for it.”
Harry Beckwith
