Activations: Daily Masterpiece

Activation – noun: making active and effective

As time rolls forward into the new year, many of us set new goals, prepare to make changes, and make a fresh start toward a positive path.

Whether we’re looking back at the past year or a lifetime, one thing is certain: Time moves forward with or without us. Like an unstoppable offensive player who is impossible to defend, we can’t stop time — we can only hope to contain it.

By making the most of our time and really owning it rather than letting it steamroll us like helpless bystanders, “containing” time will give us much to feel good about. The other option is to give in to the SSDD (Same Stuff Different Day) mentality. No thanks.

With 10 NCAA Men's Basketball Championships to his name, retired UCLA coach John Wooden encourages us to, “Make each day your masterpiece.”

Each day really is a blank canvas lying in front of us, just waiting for our actions. This fresh canvas provides an opportunity to make that daily masterpiece possible. While true daily masterpieces may end up being few and far between, tomorrow always provides another opportunity. Just knowing there is another chance — what a gift!

In the movie Dumb & Dumber, Jim Carrey’s character, Lloyd, puts his heart in his hand and asks his dream woman to be honest and tell him what the chances are that they could be together. In an awkward moment of not knowing what to say without hurting Lloyd, she says the chances are roughly one in a million. Instead of being crushed by this news, Lloyd’s surprising reaction is enthusiastic and happy: “So you’re telling me there’s a chance!”

Each day we have a new chance to make the tough interval at masters swimming, squeeze in a run before work, eat healthy, or climb the big hill — twice. The canvas is wide open to make our own.

As long as there’s a chance, a daily opportunity, to make each day a masterpiece, we can move forward with time instead of letting it pass us by.

Here’s to many masterpieces in 2007. Happy New Year.

Respect,
JPD

This also appears in SwimBikeRun St. Louis Magazine.