What Will I Take With Me When I Go?

One of my daily reading and meditation sources is a book entitled Twenty-Four Hours a Day.

Part of today's entry:

When we come to the end of our lives on earth, we will take no material thing with us. We will not take one cent in our cold, dead hands. The only things that we may take are the things we have given away. If we have helped others, we may take that with us; if we have given of our time and money for the good of A.A., we may take that with us. Looking back over our lives, what are we proud of? Not what we have gained for ourselves, but what few good deeds we have done. Those are the things that really matter in the long run. What will I take with me when I go?

What a great question. What will I take with me when I go? If I leave today, the answer is not much.

That's not fair. Who am I to judge? And am I even qualified to judge? So let me revise my answer.

Not as much as I could.

I can't change what I have given away so far in my life. I can only change what I give away from this day forward.

I'm very thankful AA has given me the opportunity to understand this - especially today, while I'm planning the rest of my life.

And how's that plan coming along? you might ask.

Fine. Just fine. Right on track.

I love you.

Flip

Three Days

In three days I'll be 50. Half a century of life. Lots of time...a great deal actually when compared to the number of meaningful accomplishments during that time.

During vacation I thought a lot about how I want to spend the second half of my life - which is probably not mathematically accurate - so perhaps the rest of my life is a more precise way to put it. There are two important ways I would like part two to be different.

1. I would like it NOT to be ruled by fear...the opposite of how I view the first 50 years.
2. I would like it to be characterized by more action than the first 50 years - preferably a LOT more.
   

No doubt focusing on #1 will very likely help #2 along a great deal.

I work best (more honestly "at all") with a deadline, therefore I have given myself until end of day Friday to plan the rest of my life. After that I will take action.

My initial thought is that I would like to spend more time creating. Currently I'm employed in the world of bidness. A world in which I have always felt like a stranger in a strange land, an imposter.

I can't change that immediately for very concrete financial reasons. But I can certainly engage in extracurricular activities (focusing on a meaning of the word "activity" that implies productive, creative action as opposed to thought) that have more to do with creating things other than wealth for myself and stockholders than my current activities.

Another thought: AA has taught me that life is about helping others. I believe it with all my heart. I think about it a lot...think about helping others...thinkthinkthink. Time to think less, do more.

It's late. I'm tired.

I'll have to work on this tomorrow. Three days is plenty of time.

Peace.

Flip

This Just In

Hi all,

I'm just back from a long-postponed vacation with my wife. I hope to catch up soon with your blogs and catch you up on me, too.

Thanks for still being there.

Later...

F