The Joy Motto

Life is too short to always act your age.

Live with joy.

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Do you have a life motto?

I thought I had one. Or maybe it was two. They are quite simple, really, but they are more meaningful to me the older I get.

Never be afraid to try something new. 

The moment we stop learning is the moment we stop living. 

But, last January I decided to come up with a new one. 

It wasn’t very awe-inspiring, mind you. There was just something about it that made me want to share it uniquely on Instagram. One word each month, sharing on the first Friday of said month to eventually become an entire phrase by December.

I didn’t give much thought to the design other than I’d use the same background. At least, until maybe March or April. Then I thought I’d be “creative” and switch things up with a new background each quarter. 

Oh how I wish I was that creative. 

Yeah, umm, about that. Clearly, the months did not all match. Wrong filters. Wrong editing. Wrong alignment.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. 

Meh. So what. 

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Life is too short to always act your age. Live with joy!

Seeing how wrong it all was, I almost didn’t want to write about, let alone post, these images. In my younger days, the perfectionist side of me would have won out and they’d never see the light of day again. 

Certainly they would have been deleted from my IG. 

That was younger me. 

These days, I let a lot more go. So I can’t be perfect in everything. I’ll live. Or, I hope to live. 

Not to sound morbid, but like so many before me, I realize my time on earth is much shorter now. Things that mattered 5-10+ years or more – outside of my family – don’t matter as much now. 

Call it age. Call it experience. Call it life continually teaching you painful lessons. I’m just not holding on to some meaningless, unfulfilling absolutes like I used to. 

This certainly doesn’t make me a sage. I wish I had this perspective when I was younger, but hindsight…

Life is short. We’re not promised tomorrow. We may plan for it, but there’s no guarantee of seeing it – no matter your physical/emotional/mental condition at the moment.

Intelligence, power, social status, wealth all are vulnerable to the unknown of tomorrow. As much as we like to have or think we are in control, it is an elusive concept in the face of tomorrow. I’ve seen more than enough tomorrows laugh in my face at the thought of me being in control. 

Life is short. It’s full of curveballs and fastballs, twists and turns, mountains and valleys, rainbows and lollipops, tears and laughter. Walking it out isn’t easy. Even the most well thought out plans may go awry. 

BUT…

it’s a bit more manageable when you LIVE WITH JOY!

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Knees Down, Prayers Up

Sunny