Yesterday, I attended to the YWCA Career Women’s Achievement Awards Luncheon. Frankly, there’s nothing I enjoy more than being in a room stuffed with sassy, successful women! As I sat there and listened to the impressive stories, I realized that I had better get busy. If these women were able to accomplish all these great feats with so many obstacles in their path, then there was no excuse for me!
Diane Nyad, the 63-year-old long distance swimmer, was the guest speaker for the event. Honestly, I didn’t expect to be so affected by what she had to share about her life. However, I was enamored with a woman at the age of 63 who refused to slow down. She continued to challenge herself with such lofty goals.
One thing in particular, really resonated with me. She spoke about how rapidly you pass through the different transitions in your life. One minute you’re graduating from college, and the next thing you know, you’re having a baby. In what seems like a blink of an eye, that same child is preparing to go away to college and you realize that you’ve been in your career for 20 years. Life definitely goes by at a warp speed.
Diane reminded us that we need to make a decision about how we approach our life. We can put our hopes and dreams off until later on, or we can seize the moment now. The problem with choosing the former is that later often doesn’t come.
My two sons and my future daughter-in-law were home for a visit last week. Having everyone in the same house doesn’t happen very often. After I went to bed, my boys stayed up and went searching for old DVDs of our family. They reported that they had spent hours watching the record of their lives. They insisted that I share the experience with them the next day.
As I watched my two sons at those very young ages, I was hit with a feeling of melancholy. How did that happen? When did those adorable little things turn into adults? It seems like yesterday that I was in the hospital delivering my oldest. It seemed like yesterday that I was dropping my youngest off at day-care and going to school plays and having school conferences. Watching those recorded moments reminded me how precious each day really is and how important it is to go after what you truly want in life.
I work daily with women that give me all the reasons why they shouldn’t move forward. I have heard some fabulous excuses why each one of them should continue to stay where they are instead of taking the leap. I often remind them that they need to channel the courage to step out and risk making the wrong decision. Just move. A person in motion stays in motion. A woman at rest stays at rest.
This is your wake-up call. If you’ve been putting that move off, think again. Take a chance and move forward. Live your life with no regrets. If Diane can do it, so can you.
