I published the following story on November 22, 2017. It’s the second story I posted. My first was about my friend, Ed. I tried to point out that the opportunities that come our way are numerous. It’s up to us to make the most of them. I was writing about economic opportunities I failed to recognize.
Well over 30 years ago, I visited one of my college friends, Mike, in California. We explored several places: Pebble Beach, Wine Country, tasted sushi for the first and last time, and visited a coffee house – Starbucks. Mike told me that Starbucks was a new franchise business opportunity.
I said, “Who is going to want to get into the coffee selling business? There are already a lot of mom-and-pop coffee shops throughout the country.” Looking back, several people did.
The first time I heard about bottled water, I said, “Who’s going to pay for something they can get for free.” It turned out that even I do.
My friend, Jim, and I got into a discussion one day about cell phones. Neither of us had one, but lots of other people did. We noted people everywhere talking on their phones. I eventually got one for work so people could get in touch with me when I was out of the office. Jim and I continued to marvel at the number of people who had the devices. We discussed buying stock in cell phone companies. Jim may have. I didn’t.
I don’t know about you, but I expect you have had similar experiences in life. That’s what life is – a series of experiences and opportunities lost or gained throughout the years. My joys exceed my sorrows, but I do have a few coulda, woulda and shouldas in my past.
The true test is enjoying where you are and what you have. Many of us “wish” for something new, but the winners are those who “do” something to improve their lot in life, to make a difference in the lives of others, and rejoice in where they are and what they have. Change requires action. Wishing is not action – doing is.
A lot of things have changed for me since I wrote the original tale. Mike and Jim, both mentioned in the story, are gone. Two other important men, my cousin Gene and my oldest friend, Mitch, have died. Ruth’s gone too. In return, I’ve got a new grandson, Young Jackson James. You’ll note that my losses outweigh my gains, and while that’s true, I’m still trying to make the most of what I have.
I’ve changed my outlook on life during the past six months. I wanted it to be different, so I started to behave differently. Most of my change started back last fall when I had my shoulder surgery. I planned to be less than I was for about six months. Just as things were getting better, my heart surgery in April set me back a bit. I’ll complete my cardio rehab in September within a few days of the anniversary of my new shoulder.
While I knew I’d be less of what I was for six months, it’s going to be a full year. I didn’t choose this path, but it’s what I got. I think the action I’ve taken to improve my health will pay off in the long run. My shoulder doesn’t hurt any longer, and between diet and exercise, my overall health is improving. I could have chosen to just sit around and wait for things to improve but I didn’t because I knew they wouldn’t. I did what I thought was best for me. I didn’t wish for my life to be different; I did something about it because change requires action.
As I noted back in 2017, no matter what you may want to be different about your life, wishing is not action. Doing is.