No Day But Today
Copyright 2005-2006, Paula Gregorowicz and The Paula G Company,
All Rights Reserved.
"No Day But Today" is one of the defining themes from the hit
Broadway musical Rent. For those of you unfamiliar with Rent, it
is a modern day, rock-opera set in the East Village of NYC. It
is a story that celebrates life in the face of death (in this
case the AIDS epidemic), a modern day La Boheme. The story
behind the story is the reason why it is the ultimate example of
life imitating art.
The show's playwright and composer, Jonathan Larson spent
seven-years on a journey from concept to reality with this show
and was about to realize his lifelong dream. Rent was scheduled
to open for previews on Broadway, January 25, 1996. The night
before, after attending the dress rehearsal, a perfectly
healthy, thirty-five year old Larson went home, hung up his
coat, put water on for tea and died suddenly from an aortic
aneurysm.
Both the storyline in the show and Larson's sudden, unexpected
death on the very day his dream was to have come true are
sobering reminders to us all to make the most of the time we do
have.
Ask yourself each day; "What is one step I can take to make the
most of today while still positioning myself for an even more
inspiring tomorrow?" Read that question again to yourself, this
time out loud. Do you find your mind is shooting off a myriad of
excuses and reasons for why you cannot have the life of your
dreams with a machine gun fire of "yeah, but's...."?
Most of us live our lives on automatic pilot. We do the same
things today as we did yesterday simply because they are the
things we did yesterday. Typically, we don't make radical
changes in our life voluntarily until something of great
magnitude happens: a medical crisis for ourselves or a close
loved one, death of a loved one, or losing a job.
Now, I'm not saying to throw all caution and reason to the wind
nor am I advocating change for change sake. What I am proposing
is that if you don't feel fully alive and excited by the current
condition of your life, perhaps today is the perfect day to
start making a move to get there.
Not sure where to start? Consider some of the following: - Spend
some time in nature or a spiritual space of your choice to
reconnect with a power greater than yourself. - Get to know
yourself. Yes, that's right; reconnect with yourself by spending
quiet time alone with your thoughts. - Read an inspiring book.
Whether you choose the biography of an inspiring person, a
spiritual text, or a self-help book, a book can open a whole new
world to you. - Join a supportive community of like-minded
individuals (or start one of your own). - Hire the support you
need to maximize your personal and professional success and
satisfaction. - Patronize the arts. Whether theater, music,
dance, museums, or some other form of creative expression is
your cup of tea, time spent experiencing art can be some of the
richest time you spend. - Volunteer your time for a worthy
cause. The personal rewards are many (not to mention the rewards
to the people you are helping) and can offer you an entirely new
perspective on life.
Personally, I watch very little television. I choose to have a
much more active and rich role in molding my life experiences.
However, I did catch a piece of the "All Star Survivor" first
episode. One of the contestants, Tina, said she came back for
another round of Survivor because she intends to take as many
life experiences to the grave with her as possible. That is a
wonderful challenge for all of us. Maybe eating bugs in Borneo
isn't your idea of a life experience you wish to have, but the
point of the matter is the same. Choose to live richly and fully.
The theme song from RENT asks, "Five Hundred Twenty-Five
Thousand Six Hundred Minutes. How do you measure - measure a
year? How do you measure - measure a life?"
So, how do you measure your days, your years, and your life?
When you approach the end of your days, will it be a life fully
lived or filled with regret?
Each and every one of us has the power to choose which of these
options our life will be about. So, choose wisely and go boldly
in the direction of your dreams -- Starting today.
(END)