Making Our Days Matter

There are many reasons that we might begin to reflect on our own mortality.

For me it happened when I reconnected with an old acquaintance just a week before my 55^th birthday.  To make a long story short he simply said, “I heard that you had died.”

Gulp.

Obviously I hadn’t, but his comment sure made me think, “What if I had died?” and “What if I die tomorrow?”  And then came the logical corollary, “Would my life have mattered?”

Well, I’ll continue to ponder that.  But in the meantime, I am determined to make each of my days count as best I can.

It’s so easy to fall into a routine where all our actions are comfortable and familiar, taken merely to get by – just to make it through the day.  That way we avoid the hard choices or shrink from major commitments and retreat to a cocoon of security, our safe zone.  We procrastinate and before long, we’re putting our entire lives on hold, failing to live up to the person we know that we can be.  Sound familiar? 

By “making the day count” I don’t mean that you have to find the cure for cancer or heart disease.  I simply mean that every day each of us gets the opportunity to accomplish something – it may be as simple as cleaning off our desks or learning to cook a steak on the grill (or in my case, just learning to cook).  Or you could let someone else know that they really matter to you.   The more that you let others know that you appreciate them, the greater the possibility you have to make that day count for something – for you and for them!  Today as I sat down to read my overflowing inbox,  I was surprised to find note from a member thanking me and another member for the “generosity” that we had bestowed on her sister.  In her words, “She is still bubbling-over because of your kindness.”  The truth is, I do not recall what we had said or done but I am happy that we had made a difference.  Her email, was the perfect inspiration to start my day.      

Business excellence guru, Tom Peters,  points out in his new book, “The Little BIG Things,” that excellence is the result of many small actions that we take, each one of which can be learned and mastered.  He reminds us that kindness is free, that it pays to be thoughtful and that we will gain much more by being civil than through intimidation. 

Excellence in business is a noble goal and once achieved you might feel that you have accomplished a lot.  But life, well life comes at us one day at a time.  So for now,  I’m going to try to make something good happen today.  Then I’ll try again tomorrow.  I’m still trying and for now,  I’m content with that.  How about you? 

In professional sisterhood,

Rene’ Street, Executive Director

American Business Women’s Association

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