One of my favorite James Taylor songs is entitled “The Secret O’ Life”. There’s just something about it that has stayed with me for 47 years.
I’d like to challenge you today with the self examination that I’ve gone through over the years, past and present, from the lyrics and music of this song - to encourage you as the time moves forward in your life.
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time
Any fool can do it, there ain't nothing to it
Nobody knows how we got to the top of the hill
But since we're on our way down, we might as well enjoy the ride
The secret of love is in opening up your heart
It's okay to feel afraidt
But don't let that stand in your way
'Cause anyone knows that love is the only road
And since we're only here for a while, might as well show some style. Give us a smile
Isn't it a lovely ride?
Sliding down, gliding down, try not to try too hard. It's just a lovely ride
Now the thing about time is that time isn't really real
It's just your point of view
How does it feel for you? Einstein said he could never understand it all
Planets spinning through space
The smile upon your face
Welcome to the human race
Some kind of lovely ride I'll be sliding down, I'll be gliding down
Try not to try too hard. It's just a lovely ride. Isn't it a lovely ride?
See me sliding down, gliding down
Try not to try too hard
It's just a lovely ride
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.
Life’s journey is purposeful and can be very difficult. We were created to do good works - and that takes some hard effort. No one doubts either of those two muscular directives, least of all me. Those thoughts seem to be in direct contrast to the lyrics that have so captured my life.
They aren’t.
Allow me to expand on this.
The key point of distinction between the two thought patterns of life is this: “How are you doing life?” (I didn’t ask you “What are you doing?” I asked “How?”)
I’ve come to that conclusion in all my years of setting goals and accomplishing objectives that how we perceive life is key to how we receive it. In other words, the path in life is more important than what we can gain in life.
So often in life we initially decide that a particular goal should be all-consuming and worth everything it takes to accomplish it. We doggedly pursue it. And in that pursuit, we often give all we ARE and all we HAVE to the goal.
But does it work? Steve Jobs died after changing the world. Prior to passing, he was asked by his biographer, Walter Isaacson, if he believed in Heaven. Jobs responded: “50/50”. Hmmm. Those odds don’t work for me, long term.
The pages of history are replete with those types of highly accomplished men and women. Often times their roads to success were littered with the bodies of many they destroyed, ignored or used as they felt the tug and draw of the passage of time.
Einstein said it about himself, and James Taylor repeated it in his lyrics: “he could never understand it all.” If the smartest man in the 19th and 20th centuries could not spend enough time to gain it all, what are the rest of us left with?
Here are my takeaways for your consideration:
- Take a fierce inventory of your life. What are you putting your full energy into that is eclipsing the needs of all those around you? In other words, are you putting your ladder up against the wrong building?
- What are you missing by looking ONLY at the “what” while missing the “how”? Let’s put it this way: When you come in contact with people who cannot possibly benefit you, like those who serve you at restaurants, how do you treat them? I’ve learned in life that how people treat waiters and waitresses, is generally how they treat people.
- Is your first “take” on things negative? You know, the half-full OR half-empty glass thing. Is your well-practiced default position set for negativity, all the while being excusing such behavior as “analytical, practical or economical”? Is that an excuse for being cheap with your time or treasure?
Recently, Susan and I took an extended break and road-tripped through the Southwest U.S. with our friends, John and Ellen Price. We travelled across parts of three states on Route 66, ending up in New Mexico at the Albuquerque, Balloon Fiesta. We were invited there by a dear friend and West Point classmate, Kevin Jackson, who is an owner of the Army Hooah Balloon.
We purposely enjoyed the passage of time.
Yes, we had schedules to make and time frames for ballooning. Those are just logistics. The HOW we enjoyed it was like this:
We made our plans and watched as events and changes redirected our paths. We simply said “OK” to changes, for there were many amendments to our plans. The weather changed and we couldn’t fly at first. We were ok with that. Then, the weather changed AGAIN, allowing us to soar with over 500 other balloons!! And that was OK, too!
I ask you to listen here to the song that I quoted. Think about YOUR life. What journey are YOU on? What negativity are YOU embracing? What needs to change in your life?
Maybe, just maybe, your life needs a pattern interrupt - possibly time away, listening and thinking. Mine was on the road and then crewing on a balloon adventure. Susan’s joy was creating the plan and then, along with our friend, Ellen, flying high over the world in that balloon. John and I were in the Chase Vehicle following after the balloon!
We all enjoyed it so much.
The secret of life truly is enjoying the passage of time.
More later,
Den
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- Pick up a Book/Audible version of one of Walter Isaacson’s works on Steve Jobs or Elon Musk
- Ask yourself what would you REALLY like to do this next year? Write it down. Look at the logistics and then put some Nike elbow grease into it and Just Do it.
- The next time you’re out to a restaurant, tip twice as much as you’d normally do. Really. Do it! You’ll both benefit!