Maker

Everyone’s on the make; they’ve all got their ‘side hustle;’ they’re hacking their lives to maximize their potential and be all that they can be.

Yawn.

I mean, sure, no one wants to squander a moment of this wild and precious life we’ve been granted, but people, please.  

Relax.

A meaningful life is not to be found in living every second to its fullest expression; sometimes, a little downtime is okay.

Breathe.

You can have your double-shot espresso energy drink protein bar for breakfast if you must and get in your six mile run before it’s light out but what’s so bad about lingering on the edge of sleep for a bit before enjoying a simple cup of drip and listening to the birds sing?

Tweet-tweet.

There are 1440 minutes in a day; take way 8 hours for sleeping, that leaves 960; another couple hours for eating and bathing, and you’re down to 840; subtract the time typically spent searching for one’s keys and phone, and what’s left?  Ten minutes of focused activity per day seems about right.

Enough.

The highly-scheduled life of your average ambitious high school Junior, who takes Advanced Placement classes, serves on student council, plays in the school jazz band, volunteers at the library tutoring math, has a part-time job, is in a serious relationship, and cares for their immigrant grandparent on the week-ends is something to admire, but isn’t their classmate, who cut school and hangs out in the park having a better time?

Really.

No one, it’s said, ever sits up on their deathbed and announces, “I wish I’d spent more time at the office,” but what’s the alternative?  Does anyone suddenly opine: “If only spent more time asleep?”  “If only I’d devoted more hours to reading the “Comments” sections in online newspapers!”  “Why didn’t lurk on social media more?”

Hmmm…

Life’s too short to drink bad wine, but it’s way too long to go full out all the time.

Right?