Day 2,228

Growth:

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.”

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 2:11

This quote has been top of mind for everal reasons today. In some cases I lived the moment in accordance with this thought, other times I worked in direct opposition to it and considered the right action afterward. The more I practice this quote the closer I will be to closing the gap between who I am and who I should be.

Nothing focuses us on a goal as knowing the deadline is soon at hand. Death is the ultimate deadline, its date unknown, and always sooner than desired.

Appreciation:

Time on flights used to be consumed with watching movies. I still remember watching at least three movies on one of our longer flights to or from Australia. I’d find a moive I wanted to watch, throw it on, and then dissolve into the screen.

More recently I’ve realized that the time on a flight is one of my last bastions of opportunity if I so choose. Rather than a movie I fired up my phone and started typing a presentation I’ll be giving soon. I was able to create a littlle over two hours of opportunity I could have easily squandered. I’m grateful for my flight discipline.

Presence:

My flight out of Minneapolis was a little bumpy early on. Within minutes of the wheels leaving the ground we started getting bounced around pretty heavily. I closed my eyes for a moment. I took a deep breath, relaxed, and realized this would be an opportune moment to practice remembering what is under my control and what is not. The bumps and shakes were outside of me, but I could choose how I responded. I looked to the front of the plane and enjoyed the next couple of minutes of the roller coaster ride.

Thanks!!!