Wasting Away Watching the Bird Feeder?
Instead, Keep Moving, Doing, and Learning
(Based on an inspiration from Ted Cabral, RestoreTrails.Org)
Gathered
around the campfire, the wise old man shared wisdom with a crowd of young
folks. He complimented them for being on the trail, out in the backcountry,
getting their tires dirty, and sharing a campfire together. He enlightened them
with the tale of another old man.
He went on to
say, “My old friend was sitting on the porch, seemingly lost in thought. So, I
asked him what gives. He said he was watching his bird feeder and the variety
of colorful birds enjoying a free meal. He said that his time in life had come
where the best he could do was sit on the porch and watch the bird feeder.”
I was
shocked. He was not much older than me, but his body (maybe because of the way
he treated it in life) was done. There were no more trails in his future. There
were no more outings, hikes, rides, or even walks to the mailbox. It really
struck home for me that I need to do everything I can while I still can before
I end up watching the bird feeder.
The point
here is not to depress you but to reinforce the importance of not letting life
pass you by because it’s running full throttle, trying to gain on you. Sure,
there are many moments when a hot cup of coffee on the porch feels mighty fine.
But that moment is not the end all be all. It’s just a nice part of your day.
There are
action items we can take in life to prevent watching the bird feeder before
it’s time. Allow me to offer some suggestions. It boils down to MDL – Keep
Moving, Doing, and Learning.
Moving: As long as your body and health
allow, just keep moving. Stretch, walk, get up off your computer seat and relax
your body, lift light weights while watching the tube, and do anything other
than be sedentary.
Doing: Always have projects or tasks to work
on. Doing something is better than doing nothing. It is like leadership or
supervision; the worst thing you can do is do nothing. Learn to be content with
a project list that seems never-ending; at least it keeps you doing something.
Learning: Constantly keep your mind engaged
with something new. Learn a musical instrument. Read a technical book. Learn a
new hobby or language. Get on the internet and learn how to do that “thing”
you’ve been wanting to do to your rig. Our brains grow through learning and
staying engaged. Our brains slowly shut down if left in neutral for too long.
Indeed, there
is more to this than this simple outline. But if you take control and choose
how to live your life, and don’t allow the couch potato syndrome to set in
before its time, you will get more out of life and not end up watching the bird
feeder all day. Just keep moving, doing,
and learning.
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