Veterans of Life

Life’s Like This — When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better. Life can be so unpredictable. Dreams that your life was built on could be dashed by circumstances beyond your control and leave you feeling depressed and without a purpose in life. There is no way to tell when and if your dreams may be fulfilled. The best we can do is to be prepared for the unexpected and to realize that life happens and that despite our best efforts to fulfill life goals, that sometimes our plans don’t turn out as we had hoped for. And when our dreams don’t materialize, we have a choice — do we give up on our dreams and spend the rest of our lives complaining about what could have been, or do we chart a new course, one that is full of hope for the future and that serves as a springboard for a new sense of purpose for our lives.

Past, Present and Future

Life’s Like This — “To grow, you must be willing to let your present and future be totally unlike your past. Your history is not your destiny.” [Source, Alan Cohen] — So often we get caught up in a vicious cycle of regrets, often perceiving past mistakes as an indicator for future success. We sometimes think, if only I could go back and relive this part of my life, I would do things entirely different. But the truth is, our lives cannot be replayed as Bill Murray did in the movie Groundhog Day — our past is the past and we are stuck with it. We simply cannot go back in the past and change what has happened, but we do have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and create a new future, here in the present, by calling on the wisdom we gained from our life experiences. While it may at times be difficult to let go of the past, if we can muster up the courage to see beyond the past and look to the future with new hope and vision, then all sorts of possibilities can become a reality.

Mirror of Life

Life’s Like This — Sometimes you can look in a mirror and see a reflection of someone you no longer recognize. As we grow older, the mirror of life is often unkind to us. No longer do we see the youthful face and person whose life was once filled with purpose and determination to make a difference in this world. Instead we are left with memories of who we once were and all that we aspired to be. And perhaps, when we look in that mirror of life, we see something else — forgotten dreams. 

I believe we all have dreams that form in our youth. They may be dreams of adventure, of home ownership, a successful career with its financial rewards, or dreams of marriage and family. For some of us, our dreams have become a reality. And for others, they are on the drawing board of life waiting to be fulfilled. And yet for others, they will simply remain dreams.