Yesterday I heard the great Tim McGraw song, Live Like You Were Dyin’, on the radio. I was taking the family down to the local amusement park to celebrate Labor Day and they had to endure my off key rendition. Have you heard the song? It’s the one with the hero who’s diagnosed with a terminal illness and determines to live his life to the fullest, refuses to let the illness squash his dreams. The song ends with the powerful line “Someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dyin”. Whoa, heavy…..what would you do? How would you “live”? The reality is we do only have a small amount of time to live, to really live.
Well… I spent the day pondering that inquiry. What changes do I need to make so I can live to the fullest? Hmmmm…. should I spend more time in the office, maybe some time in traffic, more reading in the business journals, checking my phone, watching tv? NOT ME!! Like McGraw’s conqueror I want to go skydivin’ (check!! 13,000ft in Eloy, AZ), rocky mountain climbin’ (check!! 14,179ft Mt. Shasta) and 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu (not yet, but someday!!). As my wife will tell you, with dread, I have been dreaming about my bull ride- not the mechanical kind either- for years. And it will happen……someday. Oh someday…… it’s been said that there is danger in the word someday when what it means is “not this day”. “Tomorrow” can be the enemy of “today” when we look to do “tomorrow” what deserves attention “today”.
Aside from the bull ride, there are other things I want to do before my time is up- and they aren’t all high risk endeavors. Things like teaching my kids the value integrity, spirituality, kindness and compassion, hard work, determination and committment. I want my wife to know that she is my #1 and that I love her dearly. I want to see my kids learn and grow- to become the persons of potential I see bundled in them right now. So, to put my own spin on Tim McGraw’s classic, when asked what I would do….I’d go waterslidin’ and marshmallow roastin’ and 2.7 miles on a bike with a blue trailer….I love deeper, speak sweeter and give forgiveness I’d been denying (well….I’m working on it).