One Chance

I was in Santa Barbara yesterday for an advisory Board meeting for the Center for Longevity Studies.  The day was a typically spectacular day for Santa Barbara.  It is an idyllic city but like many such cities there are underlying issues which they grapple with just like the larger cities to the north and south.  Having lived there for 15 years it is a place of great familiarity.  It was not all perfect for me during that time as a matter of fact there were some remarkably challenging times. However, as I drove to the airport this early morning I was remembering only the positive.  Amazing how quiet the roads are at 4:30 in the morning.  It gives you a chance to reflect.    As I reflected I was thinking how nice it would be to come back here and correct a few things.  Maybe not take on as much, maybe not give away as much, maybe give it a little more time instead of bolting for the door…..

Hours later I am writing this short blog more for myself than anyone but it is a good time to take stock of the fact that there are no “do-overs”. 

However, the good thing about memory is the positive is far more powerful than the negative.  I and perhaps you might like another chance at correcting the mistakes of the past with the wisdom of now.  The reality is we only get one chance to make a decision.  If that decision seems wrong through the lens of the present, we are allowed to relive those times with the softness of the present and warm ourselves in the soft glow of the positive experiences that accompany the lesser.

You only get one chance which is true today as it was then….

Choose wisely……