Living Life As A Dress Rehearsal

”Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right’. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”—Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich

Each thought, action, or choice that we make has a wide ranging affect on ourselves and others. It’s so vitally important that we act on what we truly believe to be our destiny to do, be and achieve. Nothing less will do. What we do does matter, and the time to act is Now.

Allow, Don’t Force

When living life fully in the moment, we must allow things to develop naturally, and not force the issue. Now this does not mean to be passive. We must make a commitment to achieve our chosen life, and be a person of commitment and action.

”When one is willing and eager, the Gods join in.”—Aeschylus

A mere change of focus can change our perception, and thus our entire life. This requires a conscious commitment to oneself. Sadly, most folks are not motivated to move higher, and thus live within the confines of “someday things will get better.” They treat each moment as a dress rehearsal for some nebulous future time.

As Paul Stoltz says in “The Adversity Quotient”, there are three kinds of people: the Quitters, the Campers, and the Climbers. I suggest being a Climber, and modeling this for others.

”Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Don’t rob yourself of the chain of possibilities set in motion by a directed action. Right actions will lead to changed perceptions, and a better life. But keep in mind that all actions must be constructive, active and productive. Take actions that build character, and increase your sense of pride and achievement. These actions will reveal what you most love to do in your life.

Living life fully, instead of as a dress rehearsal, has many rewards. You will not need reward charts to observe better behavior in your children; your model for living will be the reward. I think Henry David Thoreau says it best,

”Know the things deep down that make you tick…those things that really light you up and get you going…the problem here is that so very few people know what it is that they really love. They’ve been out of touch with that part of their lives for so long they’ve forgotten what their passions are all about…Dig up that thing inside you that makes up your core. Dig it up and chew on it, bury it deep and dig it up again. Grab it and hold it in your hand…look at it from every angle and then go for it. Build it, run it, invest it, write it, sing it, paint it, hike it, climb it, play it, ride it, drive it, but whatever you do… don’t let go. Never forget the rush of doing the things that you were born to do.”

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