On a walk with our dogs today a thought popped into my head. "I wonder how many walks I've taken them on?" That thought led me think about how many walks we may have left. For a moment, I let the weight and sadness of that thought hold me down. That was until Finn jerked his leash to the right, yanking me out of my state of morosity as he dove for a half-opened bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos he found on the ground.
We continued walking and I continued thinking. "What good is it to count the walks we have left? Instead, just be here for the walk you're on now."
As a speaker whose messages focus primarily on personal development, I believe in the power of measuring progress in our lives. We should measure the books we read in a year, the minutes we spend meditating, and the number of Yoga classes we attend. Measuring is a great way to create collections in our lives.
But we shouldn't always be collectors. There are things in life, precious things, that we should not measure.
We shouldn't measure the number of Christmases we have left together as a family.
We shouldn't measure the seasons our kids have left to play the sport they love.
We shouldn't measure hours left until our loved one has to travel for work again.
We shouldn't measure the number of grey hairs we find on our head.
And we shouldn't measure the number of walks we may have left with our best friend.
Counting is for collectors. Let us live free of the burden of measurement, enjoying each moment as if it might be the last we get.
Action
Go on a walk and leave your phone at home.
Question
What is something you constantly measure that you should stop measuring?
Quote
“What day is it?” asked Pooh.
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh.”
― A.A. Milne