No Day But Today!

It has been too long since I have posted!  As a client just said to me, "Your blog is woefully out of date."  That is true.  Mainly, I have been capturing stories internally for the next book and they are now categorized in 9 different unfinished books.  Do I self-publish?  Do I continue down the path I always have?  Decisons.

Whenever I speak, people always ask how I keep up with everything that I have going on, which leads me to the title of the blog post and the philosophy of my life.  Jonathan Larson wanted to change the rock musical forever on Broadway and he did so with the play "Rent."  If you have never seen it, it is a must!  It is a beautiful play about life, love, and loss.  It was Jonathan's mission to see this play on Broadway.  Unfortunately, he never truly got the chance.  The night before the play opened, he passed away due to Marfan Syndrome.  The play has so much to do with how to say goodbye.  There was so much of Jonathan in the play that you realize that the play also becomes how to say goodbye to the brilliant Jonathan Larson.  This play touched me.  It spoke to me in so many ways as I dealt with love and loss my entire life.  I had said goodbye to so many things and lived with regret.

Throughout the play, there is an affirmation that is interwoven through speech, song, and celebration. It goes:

There's Only Us
There's Only This
Forget Regret
Or Life Is Yours To Miss
No Other Road
No Other Way
No Day But Today
-Jonathan Larson

When I first heard these words, they were a powerful inspiration.  A light bulb went off where there was darkness and it became a motto for me.  Do not put off until tomorrow what you can accomplish today. It is not a morbid thought to think that tomorrow may not come.  Yesterday has already happened and tomorrow has yet to arrive.  All I have is today.  All I can deal with is today.  All I can change is today.  The rest is something that I can't worry about.  Do not wait until tomorrow to call your loved one and tell them that you care.  Do not let petty arguments get drawn out into long fights where you do not speak to loved ones for days.  Do not hold grudges or let people you barely know effect your mood at home with your loved ones.  Is all of that really worth it?

When it comes to my business and personal life, what am I doing today that matters?  What am I doing today that can impact tomorrow and the future?  I even use a "Boogie Board" that resets daily and do not write down tasks that I can't accomplish today.  It is a refreshing feeling to cross everything off of the list and hit the reset button knowing that everything I set out to do today is done.

What I learned from Jonathan was to take time for the important things and everything else becomes less important.  All of the stuff:  mandated dates, impossible timelines, unrealistic expectations, overbearing sponsors, all of it melts away with the proper perspective.  When the work/life balance is balanced properly and No Day But Today is a centerpiece, it is truly a blessing.

RIP Jonathan Larson