Our Days Are Precious

Today in the ladies' room at work, I found something unusual on the sink counter.  I didn't think much of it, but upon closer inspection, I saw that it was a business card for a funeral home.  I thought it was odd that someone had left it in the bathroom, but then another thought entered my mind.

One day, someone is going to have to call a funeral home for me.  That telephone number will be the last phone call for me.  So before that happens, what will I do with my life?  Whenever we lose a loved one, we spend time to mourn and reflect on their life, and perhaps for a little while, we ourselves get inspired to make the most out of our own lives.  But most of the time, I find myself slipping back into my comfort zones and I'm not "living as if everyday were my last."

So, what if we all had a daily reminder that we are not here forever?  What if every time you opened up your wallet, you saw a business card for a funeral home?  Would that remind you that our days are precious?  Are you really doing what you want to be doing?

Tackling Your Greatest Fears: It's All In Your Mind

I hate spiders.  I am terrified of them.  I squeal like a 5-year-old whenever I have to smash one that I see scrambling across my bathroom floor.  But there's something that terrifies me even more than spiders, and that is was singing in front of other people.

I hate my voice.  I have never had a singing lesson before.  I was in high school freshman choir for a year but honestly, I joined only to hang out with my friends, so I lip synced the entire time.  I sing in the shower, in the car, and anywhere I am by myself and no one else can possibly hear me.  So I am not a trained singer and that lack of skill just adds to my fear.  Yet for some reason, a little voice inside my head said I had to try this.

Last month, I went to a nearby café where it was open mic night.  I had intended to just go there and listen while I sipped on my tea, but as luck would have it, they had a piano available.  And there was one time slot left.  I signed up.  Before I knew it, it was my turn.  My heart was racing 150 beats per minute.  I sat down at the piano and felt fairly comfortable behind the ivories, but then the open mic host asked, "Do you need a microphone?  Are you going to SING?"

"Yes."

What am I doing? I thought to myself.  So I wiped the sweat from my brow, placed my hands on the keys, and opened my mouth to sing.

I'm not entirely sure what happened next.  Some type of sound came out.  I didn't get any rotten vegetables thrown at me, nor did a cane yank me off the stage.  Actually, it wasn't too bad.  The high that I got off of doing something that scared me was enough to make me want to do it again, and again, and again.  And now I'm getting ready for my 5th open mic performance.

We're all afraid of something, whether it's going back to school, starting a business, or asking someone out.  In reality, most of the time these fears are unfounded because we build up our fears in our mind for weeks, months, and even years.  Oftentimes, we have little first-hand experience with what is actually causing the fear and get stuck in a mental game of "what ifs" that debilitate us from making any positive change.  Challenge yourself to get out of that rut.  It's not so bad.  Take the first step.  Just do it.  You might like it.