2 paths in the woods

Since birth we are all immediately placed on the road to death.  We all intellectually know "yeah yeah, I'll die 'someday'", but very few of us in mid-stride of our lives really emotionally feel and grasp that we are all dying.  Some of us know that we are dying soon, but a great many of us don't really start living until they see their death looming ahead of them.

 

But death is looming ahead of all of us.  Every one of us will have their own experience with death as we all ultimately experience a ceasing of life.

 

So why then am I just now getting to this point where I'm seeing a different path?  I mean, very little is different now than 3 months ago, or even a year ago.  Really the outside world hasn't really changed, but the way I perceive the world and the lens through which I evaluate things has changed dramatically.  I don't have an illness that will kill me 6 months from now, but I do live my life in such a way that misfortune could befall me and end my life in 6 months.

 

It's my belief that I now have an urgency that doesn't look at retiring at 55 and doing whatever I'd like as soon enough.  That's 7 years from now and to think that I'd essentially be pissing away 7 years of my life chasing a dollar instead of doing what I really want to do - Change the world for the better...  Well that's just unacceptable to me.  If I took this most precious resource I have (my time) and was able to place it on sale to the highest bidder "Get your 7 years of life here.  Good years but not great.  Ages 47-55.  Just think of what you could do with 7 YEARS of LIFE!"

 

I'm certain that the salary I'd be drawing for that 7 years will bring me a lot less happiness than 7 years of work helping others.  Currently the leader in "how I'm going to change the world" is hospice work, and I envision another 7 years older following each path.  Each time I look on the 7 years doing something for others as a life better lived.

Reposted from Apr 20, 2016