Lead a vivid life that does good

Month: July 2013

The best time to plant a tree is 10 years ago

Had the tree in our back yard pruned. Its been in that spot for 12 years (growing for 14) and best I can guess my kids started climbing it 7 years ago.

It reminded me of the old Chinese proverb. “The best time to plant a tree is 10 years ago, the second best time is now.”

This of course applies to more than just planting trees.

The best time to start loving

The best time to start learning

The best time to start doing good

… was 10 years ago …

… The second best time is now!

Slowing down and stopping are polar opposites.

Day 68 | The Road from Mangakino“You should stop and take a photo” my friend says this time, more firmly than the first.

You see I’m back taking a photo a day again. Back wandering through life with my eyes open to moments I can capture. Back looking to lock memories of each day into still form. Back prepared to stop for the perfect picture, or so I thought.

On this day I wouldn’t have stopped if not for the insistence of my friend. On this day I would have missed this photo which connects so many memories of the day.

When it comes to taking photos, slowing down, and stopping, are polar opposites. I can slow the car down and think ‘that would be a nice photo’, but it never will be a nice photo without stopping.

It’s the same in life I am discovering. While Tammy was sick we would spend hours with her, sitting on the floor and just hanging out with her. We were prepared to stop. Stop everything. To spend precious moments with her.

Now that our journey together is over, I am finding life accelerating to break neck speed.

I barely slow down.

Let alone stop.

I’m not sure that is healthy.

I’m always busy. Always have too much to do. I always will, its in my DNA.

However while Tammy was sick, it amazed me how we as a team could make time for her. My priorities changed and caused other insignificant tasks to not get done. And it didn’t matter because stopping was more important than tasks.

Like photography I’m reminded that stopping to care for people, is the polar opposite, to slowing down.

Maybe, like me, you need to remember that today.

Maybe you need to STOP.