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She Did What?
by Barbara Mencer
Your days are like dollars in a bank account. How you spend them matters.
Some of us will be blessed to have many days ahead of us. Some will have a precious few, but regardless of how much life you have left to live, the burning question will always be ... how will you choose to spend those days?
Will you choose to play it safe or go for what you want despite the obstacles? Will you strike out boldly on a brand new path or make your transitions in life deliberately and cautiously? Will you end up doing what you love, or doing what you already know how to do, even if it doesn't bring you satisfaction and fulfillment?
These are tough questions. We all face them. Well, all of us except those fortunate few who knew from an early age what they wanted to do and made it happen. It's hard not to envy them. I don't know about you, but it wasn't so easy or clear cut for me.
What got me thinking about this was the story of a woman I know. She's in her 40's. She has a law degree and teaches at a university. She's also worked as an administrator at a law firm for years. By any measure, she's been successful in her career.
And she's just signed up for and been accepted into the police academy.
She'll be training with 20 year olds.
Talk about bold. Talk about fearlessly blazing a new trail. Well, maybe not fearlessly. You know she has to have her doubts and her fears, but Jennifer has taken the plunge. She's courageously walking into the unknown ... spitting in the eye of fear.
You know, each of us can be sheepish at times and bold at others. And maybe that's a good thing. I should be clear here. You don't have to do anything, and you shouldn't do anything unless you're really inspired to do it. Don't take action just because you or someone else thinks you should. But if there's something out there you really want to do or something you really want to have, go for it! The life you have left is a blank canvas and you're the painter. There are no lines to stay within. You can paint as boldly as you want, as boldly as you dare. So, why don't we? Well, there's that fear of the unknown, the opinions of others, the practical "realities." I was never any great fan of Dear Abby, but she said something one time I'll never forget. A woman had written in to say that she wanted to go to college, but she was 38, and by the time she graduated she'd be 42.
Abby asked her how old she'd be after four years if she didn't go to college.
Bam. Does that hit the nail on the head or what? Those days you're blessed with ... you will spend them. You will fill them. The question is how. None of us knows how much time we have here on earth. We should spend it in ways that make us happy. Okay, so here's my request of you. I know a lot of you are living boldly and taking on challenges that would inspire others. I'd love to hear about them. They don't have to be earth shattering. As I've been thinking about this, I couldn't help but think about my own life. I think I was acting boldly when I started my own business, when I left a bad marriage not knowing what was coming next, when I decided to become a competitive athlete in my 40's, when I decided to reinvigorate my spiritual practice in a public way, and when I decided to take on the formal study of nutrition last year. That's the kind of thing I'm talking about ... some big things, some not as big. These are all moves I'm glad I made and many weren't all that easy to make at the time. Or tell me the areas of your life where you could begin to live boldly if you're not already. Please, send me your bold moments or those you're anticipating. I'd love to hear them. Just hit reply to this email. Remember, in four years, you'll be four years older. But will you be "richer" for having lived them? That's the question.
Warmest regards, Barbara | 
