Remember Who Or What It's All For

"I have so much lost time to make up for!"

That is one of the refrains I hear more and more as we come to the end of this difficult year. It is hard not to feel like 2020 was a wasted year, when so much has been taken and so much focus has been on what we can't do and who we can't see.

But one of the lessons I hope stays with us from this annus horribilis is a new appreciation for what we DO have, instead of waiting for it to be taken away from us before we realize how lucky we are.

As people with drive and vision, we can sometimes be so focused on the void, on what is missing or left to be done. We want to build and grow and change the world and be our own boss and through all that achieving and goal-orienteering, we can lose daily sight of what is important forever, and what we have right now. We can forget to enjoy our snippets of free time while we work hard to buy back our time. We can squander precious opportunities to be present with loved ones in our pursuit to build a legacy for them. We can forget who we are doing all this for - or why we are doing it - while they, or it, are right in front of us. And we can sometimes, maybe often-times, neglect ourselves and our health.

Getting the balance right, however we define "right", can be a struggle. There are always trade-offs to make and priorities to juggle in the precious minutes we get each day. But in our frenzied minds and hectic days, let's make sure we make a point to take time and pause for reflection. To be thankful. To appreciate. To be present. To take care. And to be there - wherever that elusive "there" is - now, in whatever way we can.  

Success is no substitute for health. And achievement is no substitute for love. Instead of speeding up and cramming in more to make up for "lost" time, let's remember to sometimes slow down and do less and make the most of the time we have, the people we have, the success we have.

And let's remember who or what we are doing all this growing and building and achieving for, and protect and cherish it along the way.
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