01 December, 2013

Unexpected: Inspirational Words and me at 100!


Yesterday, as many of you were enjoying your Saturday off. I was in work, where an event (for some student volunteers) I had been working on for a number of weeks was taking place. There was lunch, workshops, teas and coffees and to end a lovely speech from a lovely person I met for the first time. 

Essentially, she was recommended to me as someone who has lots of experience in the volunteering sector and who could possibly provide an inspirational and motivational speech on the value and importance of volunteering. A speech that would inform the student volunteers that I work with of how valuable they are and of the vital contribution they make to others by giving up their time. And so, with a strong recommendation, I emailed her and hired her services.

For someone so young (23!), she had bags of volunteerism under her belt and listening to her, I truly felt like one of those adults who doesn't do enough in terms of volunteering. Her speech struck a chord with me, particularly when she said the following words "We all have the same amount of time in a day. The same amount of time as Mozart, Steve Jobs, Einstein....whoever it is you look up to. We all have the same amount of time in a day as them." For the first time, I was like 'Whoa, she's got a point!'. I keep telling myself'I don't have time for this, I don't have time for that!' - When the reality is, I don't make time in my day / week / month for all the things I keep telling myself I want to do and all the ba-zillion of goals I want to reach. Be they big, small, huge or teeny-tiny. Is it any wonder I feel deflated when things don't get done, goals are left un-reached and my other half sighing at me and my moany self.

The other piece of wise words she imparted were "What if you swapped your Friday feeling for a Monday feeling? What if we greeted the start of the week with the same enthusiasm that we give Friday." - In fairness, she had a point, how much better would our working day or week be if we woke up on a Monday morning and shouted "Yeah!! Monday!" Perhaps, swapping the Monday blues for Monday gratitude is the best attitude of all. To be grateful for having a job to get up, two working legs to get you to work and some money at the end of the working month to a) pay the bills and b) do a few nice things. Tonight, instead of Monday blues, I have Monday gratitude. 

And finally, she asked us all to imagine that today was your 100th birthday (Happy Birthday!). You are surrounded by family and the local media asks you 'How was your life?' and 'What were its highlights?' - What, if it were you, would you like to be able to say? Would you say, you lived well, you traveled the world, met the love of you life or would it be full of regrets? I haven't really thought about the answers to these questions yet, but they're there....floating in my mind, waiting to come out. I just need to figure out what I do, in fact, want to achieve before I reach that milestone of 100!

How about you? What would you say on your 100th birthday?

1 comment :

  1. I think that at age 100, I want to say that I was happy and I lived life the best I could. Maybe, I might even hope to have left it better in some way.

    Funnily I agree with swapping the Monday blues for some Friday excitement. If we didn't have a Monday morning every week, we would appreciate Friday when it rolls around so we may as well relish it!

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