We've all seen it before: the movie or tv show or Lifetime special in which a character experiences the death of a loved one and vows to live life to its fullest. Maybe you are that person who lost someone close, or maybe you even had a near-death experience yourself. The realization that life is short and precious is forced upon you, and you begin doing things in life that you assumed would only happen in the distant future.
I was always the type to think: why wait until someone dies? Why not live life to its fullest now? That's what led to a three month trip around Australia in 2004, my first marathon in 2005 and skydiving in 2006. When my mom passed away unexpectedly in 2006 at the age of 58, it seems an urgency was applied. I began piling on the experiences at a furious clip while slowly coming to this life philosophy: "I long to fill my life with amazing experiences so that I may someday retire on the richness of my memories." I drove across America and back by myself. I raised thousands of dollars for charity and took part in a road rally from England to Mongolia. I returned to the theater, landing the lead in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and trying Shakespeare for the first time. I gave speeches at weddings. I started a career in teaching. I fell in love. I ran more marathons. In short, I did life, and continue to strive to do so.
Then I found Ben's video. Primarily a weight loss journey in simplified form. Insanely inspirational. Running saved this guy's life and now allows him to inspire thousands of others around the world on a daily basis. Watch this video and try to tell me it doesn't tap into some inner region of your soul, the place where anything is possible. Watch this video and then think of the things you want to do before you die, but more importantly, why you haven't done them yet. Watch this video and then do life.
I was always the type to think: why wait until someone dies? Why not live life to its fullest now? That's what led to a three month trip around Australia in 2004, my first marathon in 2005 and skydiving in 2006. When my mom passed away unexpectedly in 2006 at the age of 58, it seems an urgency was applied. I began piling on the experiences at a furious clip while slowly coming to this life philosophy: "I long to fill my life with amazing experiences so that I may someday retire on the richness of my memories." I drove across America and back by myself. I raised thousands of dollars for charity and took part in a road rally from England to Mongolia. I returned to the theater, landing the lead in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and trying Shakespeare for the first time. I gave speeches at weddings. I started a career in teaching. I fell in love. I ran more marathons. In short, I did life, and continue to strive to do so.
Then I found Ben's video. Primarily a weight loss journey in simplified form. Insanely inspirational. Running saved this guy's life and now allows him to inspire thousands of others around the world on a daily basis. Watch this video and try to tell me it doesn't tap into some inner region of your soul, the place where anything is possible. Watch this video and then think of the things you want to do before you die, but more importantly, why you haven't done them yet. Watch this video and then do life.
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