Gwen Bell – 15 Minutes to Live
You just discovered you have fifteen minutes to live.
1. Set a timer for fifteen minutes.
2. Write the story that has to be written.
(Author: Gwen Bell)
And my response. It isn't a story. May that be the first of many mistakes to come.
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It's always about fear, isn't it? Fear is the thing, more than any other, that holds us back. It's that little nagging voice at the back of the mind that says what makes you think you can do that? It's the doubt that keeps us from trying. It's what keeps us from discovering who we really are, what we can be. Because what if we're wrong? What if we're not all we believe ourselves to be? What if someone laughs at us, or makes fun of us?
Well, what if they do? Here I am, fifteen minutes to live--what do I care about what everyone thinks? If I'm to leave a legacy, here's the legacy I would leave: 1) He chose love as often as he could. 2) He failed often because he tried many things--not because he was afraid to try.
Because if we are willing to try, willing to step out of our fear-shells and take a risk--above all, willing to fail on the way to success--who can stop us? What, other than death, can keep us from reaching our goals? After all, every one of us will die one of these days. Will I die on the way to my goal, or worrying about how hard it will be to get there? Will my end come as I am reaching with all my heart for what I know I can be--or will it catch me cringing, avoiding the discomfort of reaching?
Anybody who knows me knows I've spent much of my life cringing. I'm done with that now. I will be known for the mistakes I made--or for the victories I won because I was willing to make mistakes--not for the chances I missed. Or ignored.
Fifteen minutes to live? Let this be my legacy. In those fifteen minutes, I lived.
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Care to share yours?
HN
I've been thinking about this same subject in the past few weeks. Great write-up - keep'em coming.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ken! I think we have to think about this if we ever want to be more than we are now. The lucky few don't have to think about it because it comes naturally to them. The rest of us have to work at it....
ReplyDeleteHave a great evening!
HN