Jostled cups

Don't waste your life. 

 

Madigan and I were sitting on the hammock swings watching the stars and he told me that one of his greatest fears is that he might waste the time that he is given, the hours he is given to draw breath. He is a (young) man with so much depth and wisdom, still wonderfully entangled by the childhood dreams and imagination. He is wise enough to see and understand that life is a.) not likely to be what we think it will be in spite of all our carefully laid out plans, b.) incredibly quick to pass us by, c.) full of (mostly wasted) potential. 

I asked Madigan why this concerns him. He said, he sees so many things that distract people from fulfilling their potential, from using well the time they are given. A few distractions that we identified are:  

• Cell phones (not surprisingly at the top of the list) 
• Computers
• TVs
• Laziness
• Influences (human, substance, etc.)
• Less than ideal circumstances
• Heartbreak/sorrow
• Lack of confidence
• Fear

In my observation, humans are incredibly adept at squandering the time they are given; to live life, to draw breath, is a privilege. It is not without immeasurable pain, suffering, loss, and sorrow, and yet... 

We have so many distractions, so much that helps us to rob ourselves of life lived wholly, encourages us to forget our dreams or never even discover them, enables us to live and justify (to ourselves) small lives in isolation of our own creation, and ultimately cheats us of our own potential. I tell the boys that they can (i.e. have the potential to) change the world, one life at a time, one decision at a time, one kindness at a time, one act of courage at a time, one impossibly hard action at a time. They may never know the difference that they make, but it exists regardless. 

At some point your cup will be jostled. What will it be filled with when it is jostled and spills out? The bumps will come, the cup will rattle. I hope that when I am bumped against, my cup will be full and the contents restorative/life giving because I have been diligent to use wisely the time I am given.