I found this while surfing a few weeks ago and it hit home. In fact it inspired me (click on the picture to read it – it is worth it). I have been working in a job I love for 22 years but realized some time ago that I had confused having a career with having a life and after I read this I thought to myself, “That is what I was feeling…”
Just over 2 years ago I took stock of my life and realized it was wanting. Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t necessarily in a bad spot or unhappy – I just wasn’t “happy”. There is a difference. It seemed like my life was in neutral so I decided to do something about it – and shortly thereafter my life took off on a trajectory that has not yet hit its zenith – and I hope it doesn’t for years to come. The key then was simply making the decision about what I wanted in my life. I was told once that the funny thing about life is that doing what you want is the easy part – deciding what you want is the hard part. Once you make a decision everything seems to make sense and life builds towards that single purpose whatever it may be. What I wanted was to be “happy” and when I defined what that meant for me it came down to a handful of simple things:
1. a committed, loving relationship
2. fatherhood
3. travel… no, vacation, more often – with my family
4. fly fish my bucket list (see #3)
The first thing I did was stop talking about finding the right person and go about deciding what kind of person it was I wanted in my life. I was engaged a few years ago to a great woman whom I loved but there was something missing in that relationship and one of the hardest things I have ever done was end it. The thing that hurt most was knowing that ending the relationship would hurt her terribly – but I knew it was the right thing to do. It was the first step to getting my life on track and I have to admit that afterward I hid from life for a while but I used that time to take stock. It allowed me to move forward.
Well, since then I have met a wonderful woman, become engaged, we have moved in together and, miraculously, we have become parents of a wonderful boy. And today we leave for 10 days in Montana…
Life is short. What do you want to do?
[NOTE: I won't have regular internet access while on vacation but will post when I can. Check my twitter feed in the interim @ WILSONSFlyShop]
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