Life Lessons

We never stop learning, whether we want to admit it or not.

I had this conversation with my mother years ago on our back porch. Maybe I was when I was in high school. I remember my father also being present that evening. She and I were in agreement that everyday we learn something new.

So what right? Everyone knows this.

In reality, that afternoon was just another day of chatting with my parents and enjoying the day amongst good company. I’m almost positive that neither of them would remember precisely when this occurred. It was a conversation I had had before, in school maybe, and for some strange reason this time around it made an impression on me. I’ve never forgotten it.

Some of us continually want more out of life, and some of us are happy enough with the status quo. Me? The more I investigate my own life, the more deeply I peel away the layers, the more I’m convinced that I‘ve wasted a good deal of time on this planet. I’ve always known about hard work, and even participated in some from time to time. Fact of the matter is that, no matter how many long papers I’ve written for my degrees, no matter how many mornings I’ve woken up super early to for some employment I can no longer remember, that whole time I had myself convinced that I was a hard worker.

The longer I live, the more I can’t help but feel that the majority of people I observe are somehow not living up to their full potential. What is it with people just getting by? And why are so many people excited for payday? I never understood that. Is it really the cool thing to live for the weekend, and complain about your job? Why doesn't everyone do something they enjoy?

And it’s a shame really, so much talent and so few people doing something with it. I’m in there somewhere, trying to crawl my way out. I just wish I had known about this earlier in life.

Keep the faith.