"No Day But Today" is one of the defining themes from the hit Broadway musical Rent. For those of you unfamiliar with Rent, it is a modern day, rock-opera set in the East Village of NYC. It is a story that celebrates life in the face of death (in this case the AIDS epidemic), a modern day La Boheme. The story behind the story is the reason why it is the ultimate example of life imitating art. The show's playwright and composer, Jonathan Larson spent seven-years on a journey from concept to reality with this show and was about to realize his lifelong dream. Rent was scheduled to open for previews on Broadway, January 25, 1996. The night before, after attending the dress rehearsal, a perfectly healthy, thirty-five year old Larson went home, hung up his coat, put water on for tea and died suddenly from an aortic aneurysm. Both the storyline in the show and Larson's sudden, unexpected death on the very day his dream was to have come true are sobering reminders to us all to make the most of the time we do have. Ask yourself each day; "What is one step I can take to make the most of today while still positioning myself for an even more inspiring tomorrow?" Read that question again to yourself, this time out loud. Do you find your mind is shooting off a myriad of excuses and reasons for why you cannot have the life of your dreams with a machine gun fire of "yeah, but's."? Most of us live our lives on automatic pilot. We do the same things today as we did yesterday simply because they are the things we did yesterday. Typically, we don't make radical changes in our life voluntarily until something of great magnitude happens: a medical crisis for ourselves or a close loved one, death of a loved one, or losing a job. Now, I'm not saying to throw all caution and reason to the wind nor am I advocating change for change sake. What I am proposing is that if you don't feel fully alive and excited by the current condition of your life, perhaps today is the perfect day to start making a move to get there. Not sure where to start? Consider some of the following: - Spend some time in nature or a spiritual space of your choice to reconnect with a power greater than yourself.
- Get to know yourself. Yes, that's right; reconnect with yourself by spending quiet time alone with your thoughts.
- Read an inspiring book. Whether you choose the biography of an inspiring person, a spiritual text, or a self-help book, a book can open a whole new world to you.
- Join a supportive community of like-minded individuals (or start one of your own).
- Hire the support you need to maximize your personal and professional success and satisfaction.
- Patronize the arts. Whether theater, music, dance, museums, or some other form of creative expression is your cup of tea, time spent experiencing art can be some of the richest time you spend.
- Volunteer your time for a worthy cause. The personal rewards are many (not to mention the rewards to the people you are helping) and can offer you an entirely new perspective on life.
Personally, I watch very little television. I choose to have a much more active and rich role in molding my life experiences. However, I did catch a piece of the "All Star Survivor" first episode. One of the contestants, Tina, said she came back for another round of Survivor because she intends to take as many life experiences to the grave with her as possible. That is a wonderful challenge for all of us. Maybe eating bugs in Borneo isn't your idea of a life experience you wish to have, but the point of the matter is the same. Choose to live richly and fully. The theme song from RENT asks, "Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes. How do you measure - measure a year? How do you measure - measure a life?" So, how do you measure your days, your years, and your life? When you approach the end of your days, will it be a life fully lived or filled with regret? Each and every one of us has the power to choose which of these options our life will be about. So, choose wisely and go boldly in the direction of your dreams -- Starting today. Copyright 2005-2006, Paula Gregorowicz and The Paula G Company, All Rights Reserved. |
