About a year ago, my best friend of 14 years was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and the prognosis didn't look good. Thankfully, he pulled through. In the last year, I've become more involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and I've met some pretty interesting people--survivors, like my best friend. So headlines like the one about Miles Levin, an 18-year old who has had to grow up fast over the last 2 years and who died this past Sunday, always grab my attention. I was reading his blog online and stumbled across this entry. I really touched me. I know this has nothing to do with real estate, but it is a poignant message and I felt compelled to share it.
From the blog of Miles Levin, aged 18.
I went to the driving range the other day and I was thinking...
I was thinking how you start out with a big bucket full of golf balls, and you just start hitting away carelessly. You have dozens of them, each individual ball means nothing so you just hit, hit, hit. One ball gone is practically inconsequential when subtracted from your bottomless bucket. There are no practice swings or technique re-evaluations after a bad shot, because so many more tries remain. Yet eventually you start to have to reach down towards the bottom of the bucket to scavenge for another shot and you realize that tries are running out. Now with just a handful left, each swing becomes more meaningful. The right technique becomes more crucial, so between each shot you take a couple practice swings and a few deep breaths. There is a very strong need to end on a good note, even if every preceeding shot was horrible, getting it right at the end means a lot. You know as you tee up your last ball, "This is my final shot, I want to crush this with perfection; I must make this count." Limited quantities or limited time brings a new, precious value and signficance to anything you do. Live every day shooting as if its your last shot, I know I have to.
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