Life is not a Race Enjoy It

@suscan (1955)
United States
April 30, 2007 10:58am CST
This is long, but it is so true of me, I have recently had to slow down.I got this in Email,it is one of those things that is good to pass on. Sorry it is long READ THIS VERY SLOWLY. TAKE YOUR TIME, IT'S PRETTY PROFOUND BUT TRUE Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine. I got to thinking one day about all those people on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible. How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you? How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television? I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in a half hour?" She would gas up and stammer, "I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, it looks like rain" And my personal favorite: "It's Monday." She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together. Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches.. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect! We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet- trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college. Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to our selves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit." When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord. My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy. Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to...not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting? Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask, "How are you?" do you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow."? And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call and say "Hi"? When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift...Thrown away.... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.
3 people like this
9 responses
@Polly1 (12645)
• United States
30 Apr 07
How true, life is precious and sometimes so short, I hope lots of people read this even if they don't all respond. Good post.
2 people like this
• United States
30 Apr 07
every one should read this it is oh so true thank you!
2 people like this
• United States
1 May 07
It is amazing how after you've reached the top of that hill and are suddenly "over the hill" you seem to accelerate a lot quicker! LOL I agree, take time to stop and smell the roses. Life is too short to rush through it just to get to the finish line. Thanks for sharing.
1 person likes this
@yanjiaren (9031)
16 May 07
You are absolutely right my friend. I may work hard on the comp trying to earn my living, but I do make sure I don't take anything or any one for granted and that every moment I am living and breathing is precious. In Tai Ji the same philosophy applies, when one practices the form slower, one picks up speed and momentum. When we take good breaks in between work, we can work faster and more efficinetly. Thanks for his great post.
@Anniedup (3651)
• Richards Bay, South Africa
1 May 07
This is truly a beautiful piece, it rally makes you think and the words "Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over." is so very true. Thanks suscan for making me pause, in this rat race of a world we live in, and think for a while.
1 person likes this
@lankie (477)
• China
8 May 07
Some people think they are not happy saying they are not enjoying the real good things.We are living in a family of our own and have our own friends,it is kinda joy thing and to be cherished but many forgot what they actually should .We are filled with troubles as we grow up but we got to start to handle it .A life with a smile is a good one anyway.
1 person likes this
@suscan (1955)
• United States
13 May 07
A life with a smile is a good one. We are blessed when we have people we love and who love us.
@gifana (4833)
• Portugal
30 Apr 07
This is great for those who have never experienced what the writer is talking about. I am one of those people who never pass up an opportunity that is within reach. Life is not simple as ABC but it doesn't have to be difficult either. I have always said that life is a matter of priorities based on necessity and time. The needs come first and when the time is right all else can follow in any order. I dislike people who, which extended an invitation to visit friends or family in far-off lands saying I can't....what if the plane crashed....what if the house caught on fire while I am gone.....what if....what if.... I am always ready for anything and everything that will keep me going. Thanks for the posting. +
1 person likes this
• United States
1 May 07
Thank you for sharing that very thought provoking topic.
1 person likes this
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
30 Apr 07
This is so true- I’ve seen this e-mail numerous times. I must say it affects me the same way each time. It reminds me to slow down and smell the flowers. I am constantly thinking about what I have to get done- But I’m also the type that will drop everything to do something. I’ll play softball in the yard with my daughter and push off doing the laundry. I pop in and take my mom to lunch- I don’t care if her hair isn’t washed we go! I know a lot of people who don’t enjoy life—they are moving way too fast to enjoy it- You cannot plan anything with them because they are booked months ahead. To me I need down time- Time to just sit back, swing on the porch, and enjoy! No running, no rushing. My friends always say they love coming to my house- It’s not always 100% clean- but I’m always having fun. Who cares if there is dust on your ceiling fan?? Did you play with your kids today?