In 2020 many people have been faced with loss – financial loss, loss of health or even the loss of loved ones to the pandemic. It’s been that kind of year. Many of our clients faced loss – a few faced death. It has been a privilege to listen to their stories and to see what the possibility of losing your life has taught them and us.
Loss brings human connections into focus and puts family and friends at the centre of life. ‘I will consider myself lucky if I see my children grow up,’ says a friend who fought cancer this year. ‘I have no other dreams.’ It gives us another chance. We so easily assume that we will live until we have fulfilled all our dreams. However, these second chances remind us that time is limited and our final hour is not under our control.
It reminds us that we must be prepared so that whoever needs to pick up the pieces can do so without additional grief.
It also reminds us that we must make the most of our time here and pursue whatever it is we feel called to do. Why wait? Why put off that dream? Why wait until you’re retired and no longer working to really live or spend more time with your people? Why spend so much energy and time earning more money, when a simpler life could afford you the luxury of spending your time on things or people you love? Why wait until you’re old to move to a place you love?
Often, what stands in the way of these choices is our definition or perception of enough. When faced with death, enough money fades in the face of not enough time. Enough money is a poor substitute for not enough time spent with your people, doing the things you love or on what matters.
Nearly losing it all calls attention to the important, redirecting you away from what is urgent or even easy. Why wait until you nearly lose it all to focus on what matters?
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