On the Shortness of Life...

An enjoyed visit is rapidly coming to an end. Changes are imminent. I'm often a creature of habit. I woke up early; lamenting the various worst-case scenarios of what could go wrong in the future. HOWEVER, thankfully, I have shifted course after a trip down memory lane.

Let me share part of my mental travel through time-> My English teacher made us memorize and recite our high school's motto each week. I don't recall why she made us say it routinely, but this morning while lying in bed trying to go back to sleep these familiar words crept into my brain:

 

"Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it; no idleness, no laziness, no procrastination; never put off until tomorrow what you can do today."

This motto is very instructive regarding how I should spend my next few hours. In fact, it is very instructive about how I should view all aspects of my life going forward. Moreover, it ties in very well with a particularly interesting discussion in my Professional Responsibility class yesterday.

(SIDE NOTE: We began our class time together discussing Tuesday night's Presidential Debate in the context of legal ethics and how we should carry ourselves as lawyers. We ended class with a discussion of how we should not drown in our own stress or self-importance. Apparently, as future lawyers we are predisposed to this unfortunate behavior. Professor B impressed upon us how we need to learn how to manage our stress and how we should give back to our communities through service.)

Professor B shared a passage from Seneca's on the "Shortness of Life." This morning, I read a portion of the essay/letter. Here is what struck a chord with me:

"It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much. Life is long enough and our allotted portion generous enough for our most ambitious projects if we invest it all carefully. But when it is squandered through luxury and indifference, and spent for no good end, we realize it has gone, under the pressure of the ultimate necessity, before we were aware it was going. So it is: the life we receive is not short but we make it so; we are not ill provided but use what we have wastefully. Kingly riches are dissipated in an instant if they fall into the hands of a bad master, but even moderate wealth increases with use in the hands of a careful steward; just so does our life provide ample scope if it is well managed."
Pasted from <http://www.philosophicalsociety.com/archives/on%20the%20shortness%20of%20life.htm>

I am resolved to be a "the glass half-full" type gal! I will not waste time fretting over the past I cannot change or a future that is uncertain. I shall fully & sincerely enjoy what I have been given when I have been given it. As it has been said "[t]oday is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”

CARPE DIEM EVERYONE!!!

(BTW, I appreciate the commitment of teachers who endeavor to make a positive impact on their students. Although I cannot remember my English teacher's name in this moment, I see her with my mind's eye and thank her (and Professor B) for reminding me not to squander the time I have!)