Doug's Blog

The Last Good Year

So, I have to say I am sorry first off.  This column isn't about the last year, its actually about the next year.  Its common to discuss what you would do if this were your last day, but that is so hard to do, and quite frankly such an unlikely scenario.  Who, after all, actually finds out they only have 24 hrs to live?  Maybe a few weeks or a few months, but 24 hrs?  If it were me, I would not be able to chose and I would simply waste my time trying to chose.  Oh, ya, I would spend the entire time with my boys, so they would know and remember me . . . but they are very young so they likely wouldn't remember me anyway.  So perhaps the best would be to videotape messages to them to try to help them through elementary school, junior high, high school, college, marriage, and their kids . . . ya, I would know what to say to them in a world 20 years from now.  Or maybe since they wouldn't remember me and I wouldn't know what to say about the world 20 years from now I should just go to Vegas and bet the roll, or maybe spend my last day in the sun, or go digging for dinosaurs, or . . . . or what, what the hell could I really do with 24 hrs?

The better question is this: What if you discovered that you had one year, exactly 365 days to live.  What if you were sitting down tonight with friends and family and found out that 365 days to the hour from now on New Years Eve 2010, that you would die . . . where would you chose to be?  It may sound morbid, but honestly, if the people who read this column represent the average than 16% of those who read this, will die this year. So, if this was your last year . . . what would you do with it? And its not all bad or disheartening.  We all make New Years resolutions, but this mental experiment pulls us from the duldrums of life, it pulls us from a vague vision of 20 years from now, to one year, just one year to do all that you want, to do what you dream, to prioritize reasonably and decide what you really want from life, . . . if your life was just and only the year 2009 . . . and a chance to figure out where you want to be before 2010 starts.

Would you raise your boys at home, take them to see the world, curl up and prepare to die, get more exercise so you could toss around the old pig skin?  Would you look for business opportunities hoping to leave them a legacy of opportunity?  Would you take up skiing, or do more volunteering, or maybe, finally, learn to swim?  Maybe you would take Saturdays to paint, and Sundays to go to Church, or maybe it would be the other way around.  Maybe you would listen to more music and go to more plays, or maybe you would spend every ounce of energy to save, and build the future of your town, province, or nation.  Or maybe you would just take a risk and fall in love . . . or maybe you would fall in love with someone else . . . or maybe you would suddenly love everyone and chose to forgive those that wronged you.  Maybe your would go overseas to build houses for some people in some third world nation for a week?  Maybe you would fret over each day and wind up losing them all to worry and wonder and planning?  Or maybe you would go after your dream?

I don't know what you would do . . . but . . . I am starting to see clearly what I will do . . .

Too often when we make a New Years resolutions they are with the notion that we will live forever . . . but think of them as though they are for only one year . . . and that this year could be your last . . .

I think you will find that they won't be vague or huge . . . they will be smaller, consequential, and meaningful to those who love you and those you love.  Imagining this next year could be your last isn't morbid.  Planning as though it could be may just make this the best year of your entire life . . . and for all we know . . . it could be the last good year for you . . . or me . . . or him . . . or her. 

I don't know what you would resolve to do this year.  Go skydiving.  Make up with your sister.  Change the world.  Change yourself.  I don't know.  It doesn't matter.  All that matters is that you make it the best.  Make it meaningful.  Make a difference.  Make choices.  Make it all count for something.  Make New Years 2010 a celebration of what you accomplished this year, and the beginning of the next Last Good Year of your Life. 

I know I will . . .