What Makes a Life Well Used?

Grab your cup. ☕

I spent four hours this week sitting by the hospital bed of my 95-year-old uncle, also known as "my second dad". This man shaped my life in ways I can't even quantify.

It was hard to see him like that. If you've sat by a loved one who is struggling to breathe, you know exactly how hard it was. I will cherish those four hours; we prayed together, worshiped together, and talked quietly of what we've meant to one another. Leonardo da Vinci is quoted to have said, "as a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death." I don't know when my second dad's last day will be, but I do know he lived his life well.

I drove three and a half hours to get home to a full house of more family visiting us from out of state. And, as I drove, I again cried, prayed, worshiped and reflected on my 95 year old uncle's life. He lived quietly and made ripples of change that will truly reverberate through generations. I fall short of that, I think. He felt like he fell short of that, as well. And, that's the point.

We have this one life to live. Are we living it well? We're sharing this one life with others and we impact them one way or another. A smile, an encouraging word on a day when they may be struggling, or in a negative way with a sharp remark or a nonchalant comment that makes them feel insignificant.

We get to choose HOW we live. How are we choosing? Because we may never truly know the impact we make on another person, but it will result in either happiness or emptiness. We choose.

I know this week's newsletter is different and not focused on "business strategies". It's reflective and straightforward.

What does it mean to you: a "life well used"? To help you answer that question, take about 12 minutes to listen to this TED talk by Robert Waldinger about the Harvard 75 year study about happiness. TED talk: Harvard 75 year study on happiness

The Weekly Challenge

It's simple: who is the one person this week that needs a moment of your life? Call them, write them, facetime them, take them to lunch, or whatever communication method is available. DO IT. It's really the only thing we have to share: Our life with others…..the one thing we can't buy.