Dear Ones,
Do not wait. Do it now. Live now. As an older person with a history of procrastination, I can tell you you will regret the chances you missed. I wish I’d had more fun when I was young. I had fun, but I wish I’d played more, danced more, traveled more, eaten more calcium, and written that book. Like all of us, I had to overcome my negative conditioning and let go of many limiting beliefs to be more free, so I can have compassion for the reasons I didn’t. I needed a lot of support to recover from childhood neglect, trauma and learned helplessness.
Do the things that you want to do while you have the interest and energy. Listen to the call of your heart and soul. While there are many dreams I have fulfilled, others are still waiting. Time is fleeting. We go into a trance of forgetfulness and act as if we have forever, as if we will live forever, but we truly never know how long we have. You know this intellectually, but our denial of the reality of sickness, old age and death seeps into the way we live. Our whole culture is in denial. Denial of the vulnerability of our precious bodies and the precious ecosystems of this earth that give us life and sustain us.
I have adventurous friends who have been very active their whole lives, some of them traveling all of the continents and states, exploring and pursuing multiple successful careers, who are now in their sixties, seventies and eighties who find it difficult to do many of the things they once could do with ease. Do it now. Don’t wait. The problem is, you think you have time. Several of my friends died in their 40s. My mother died at 27, my aunt at 52. You never know. Wake up. I am telling myself this as well as you. Don’t delay.
If you want to be creative, be creative. Write that book or throw pots. If you want to travel, travel. If you want to spend more time with family, friends, or nature, do that. Maybe make new friends. If you want to meditate daily and go on retreats, do that. If you want to live within your means and save money, do that. If you want to move, move. If you want to leave your spouse, make a plan and don’t let fear stop you. If you want a new job, look and make a leap. Start your own business. Sell your business. Hike the Camino. Run for office. Work less. Tell those you love that you love them, every time you see them. Let yourself just sit in the sun and feel it on your skin. Just let yourself be and be OK.
Stop believing that you can’t. Stop believing you have to know how it will all turn out. You don’t and you can’t. Take a risk. Live a life. You will survive and perhaps thrive. Stop playing it too safe. Life the life YOU want. Do it now. Please. If you feel too scared to dare, work on that. That is where you start. We are all works in progress. Do the things that make you feel most alive. Live on purpose. I know you can.
With love,
Lisa
P.S. The song I was here is beautiful. I particularly love Willie Spence’s rendition he sang at age 21 on American Idol. He died in a car crash this year at age 23. Give it a listen. It’s inspiring. Willie was here. He dared to sing.
© Lisa Cottrell, 2022
Well Being Psychotherapy
www.wellbeingpsychotherapy.net
I was here - Beyoncé
I want to leave my footprints on the sands of time
Know there was something that, something that I left behind
When I leave this world, I'll leave no regrets
Leave something to remember, so they won't forget
I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know I was here
I wanna say I lived each day, until I died
I know that I had something in somebody's life
The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leave
That I made a difference and this world will see
I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here
I just want them to know
That I gave my all, did my best
Brought someone some happiness
Left this world a little better just because
I was here
I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I wanna leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here
I did, I've done
I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here
I did, I've done
I was here
Do not wait. Do it now. Live now. As an older person with a history of procrastination, I can tell you you will regret the chances you missed. I wish I’d had more fun when I was young. I had fun, but I wish I’d played more, danced more, traveled more, eaten more calcium, and written that book. Like all of us, I had to overcome my negative conditioning and let go of many limiting beliefs to be more free, so I can have compassion for the reasons I didn’t. I needed a lot of support to recover from childhood neglect, trauma and learned helplessness.
Do the things that you want to do while you have the interest and energy. Listen to the call of your heart and soul. While there are many dreams I have fulfilled, others are still waiting. Time is fleeting. We go into a trance of forgetfulness and act as if we have forever, as if we will live forever, but we truly never know how long we have. You know this intellectually, but our denial of the reality of sickness, old age and death seeps into the way we live. Our whole culture is in denial. Denial of the vulnerability of our precious bodies and the precious ecosystems of this earth that give us life and sustain us.
I have adventurous friends who have been very active their whole lives, some of them traveling all of the continents and states, exploring and pursuing multiple successful careers, who are now in their sixties, seventies and eighties who find it difficult to do many of the things they once could do with ease. Do it now. Don’t wait. The problem is, you think you have time. Several of my friends died in their 40s. My mother died at 27, my aunt at 52. You never know. Wake up. I am telling myself this as well as you. Don’t delay.
If you want to be creative, be creative. Write that book or throw pots. If you want to travel, travel. If you want to spend more time with family, friends, or nature, do that. Maybe make new friends. If you want to meditate daily and go on retreats, do that. If you want to live within your means and save money, do that. If you want to move, move. If you want to leave your spouse, make a plan and don’t let fear stop you. If you want a new job, look and make a leap. Start your own business. Sell your business. Hike the Camino. Run for office. Work less. Tell those you love that you love them, every time you see them. Let yourself just sit in the sun and feel it on your skin. Just let yourself be and be OK.
Stop believing that you can’t. Stop believing you have to know how it will all turn out. You don’t and you can’t. Take a risk. Live a life. You will survive and perhaps thrive. Stop playing it too safe. Life the life YOU want. Do it now. Please. If you feel too scared to dare, work on that. That is where you start. We are all works in progress. Do the things that make you feel most alive. Live on purpose. I know you can.
With love,
Lisa
P.S. The song I was here is beautiful. I particularly love Willie Spence’s rendition he sang at age 21 on American Idol. He died in a car crash this year at age 23. Give it a listen. It’s inspiring. Willie was here. He dared to sing.
© Lisa Cottrell, 2022
Well Being Psychotherapy
www.wellbeingpsychotherapy.net
I was here - Beyoncé
I want to leave my footprints on the sands of time
Know there was something that, something that I left behind
When I leave this world, I'll leave no regrets
Leave something to remember, so they won't forget
I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know I was here
I wanna say I lived each day, until I died
I know that I had something in somebody's life
The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leave
That I made a difference and this world will see
I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I will leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here
I just want them to know
That I gave my all, did my best
Brought someone some happiness
Left this world a little better just because
I was here
I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here
I did, I've done, everything that I wanted
And it was more than I thought it would be
I wanna leave my mark so everyone will know
I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here
I did, I've done
I was here, I lived, I loved, I was here
I did, I've done
I was here
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