Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying

By Rich Smith, 01-02-2019

Who has read the 86,400 seconds piece that inevitably circulates the net this time of year? The one that says each morning you wake up with $86,400 in your bank account, and at night it’s gone. The writers of pieces like this compare money to time, meaning you wouldn’t waste money, so why would you waste time? You can always make money, but you can never get more time. Seems like an oversimplification, but it’s true. Just Google 86,400 seconds and you’ll find what I’m talking about (after you read this piece, of course).

I turn 45 this year. My dad passed away at the age of 51. Does that mean I have 6 years left? Probably not. He lived a much harder life than I did. I’ve often said that I have soft, desk hands. Hands my dad would not be proud of. But he and I are (were) different. I learned a lot from him, and I learned a lot from the mistakes he made. I think that’s what he wanted of me. And in the end, I think he’d be proud…just not of my soft hands. Looking back, my dad used every second of every day he had. Whether it was work, hobbies, or friends, he was always on the go. He always had something going on, and if there were some downtime, you’d find him in his garage. He lived his life to the fullest, and I think I still have a lot to learn there. He’s been gone for over 20 years, and I still have a lot I can learn from him.

So where am I going with this? What does this mean for the new year? I’m reminded of a quote from The Shawshank Redemption. “Get busy living or get busy dying.” You have 86,400 seconds each day, and it’s your choice what you do with them. It’s your choice to just keep living the life that just gets you by. Or, it’s your choice to finally break out and take those chances that you’ve always dreamed about. Remember, you can never get more time. Use this time you have right now to take control of your life. It won’t be easy, but nothing good ever comes easy.

I have one new year’s resolution that I’ll share with all of you today. I resolve to work harder in 2019 than I’ve ever worked before. I’m going to work harder to make Atlas the very best it can be. I’m going to work harder in my personal life to break out and experience new things. I’m going to say yes when it would be easier to say no. I’m going to run full speed into 2019, faster than I’ve ever ran before.

Who is with me? Let’s go!