“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” Kurt Vonnegut
A few days ago I wrote a sticky note and put it on the kitchen counter. It said: “Harvest greens.” This morning I was on the verge of putting it off (again) in favor of more important things, when I saw how that choice could easily become a habit, and once again the greens would sit in the garden until they became tough and bitter.
So I walked out to the garden with bowl and shears.
By some grace, I chose not to hurry as I pulled the romaine and clipped the spinach. I thought about leaving the roots at the side of the row to compost later, my usual strategy. But again grace intervened, and I carried the trimmings over to the compost pile before going inside. (Miles, the Charming Prince, will no doubt be amazed and delighted to read this.)
In the wake of those choices time opened up. I found myself rinsing, spinning, and drying the greens without the usual drive to get the job done. As I worked, I realized down to my toenails that when we act in the now there is no hurry or pressure. Now is an infinite moment.
Life is short
Now is an infinite moment, yet our lives are measured in clock time. While there’s no way to know for certain how long you will live, you can calculate your estimated life span from actuarial charts, click here. If you’re curious, you can chunk down your predicted life span into days, hours, and minutes with this countdown clock, click here.
If now is infinite, what’s the point of counting the minutes until we die?
The point of knowing your probable life span is not to scare or burden you. It’s to reveal the preciousness of each moment. To wake us up to the fact that we have only so much time to realize the persons we intend to be.
To cultivate well-being for ourselves and others.
It’s not how much we squeeze into our short lives that matters; it’s how we spend each infinite now.
So I ask you, what have you been putting off in your life, your work, or your business? What have you been putting off that you can choose to do today, now?
Who will you pretend to be today?
Each moment in our lives is precious. Who and how we choose to be in each moment, each infinite now, determines who we will have been at the end of our lives.
How does your life purpose show up in your choices? Who will you pretend to be today?
