"Tell me, what is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Recently a friend posted this wonderful quote by American poet Mary Oliver on facebook and it went on 'my favorite list' straight away. What indeed is it I plan to do? Or even more immediate: what am I doing?

For no apparent reason, besides the obvious notion of pushing 40, the sense of the finiteness of this particular life has been at the forefront of my mind lately. Looking around me and seeing a lot of my friends now raising little ones it becomes more tangible that we are now the parents of the world, no longer just its children. With that comes a realization that while a whole new generation grows up, we are growing older (and hopefully a bit wiser) and will at some point leave this world to our children. Oh my God, I am actually going to die!

So what am I doing with my wild and precious life? Am I living the dream I envision for myself? Where is it right on track and where still off, out of wack or incomplete? Am I consciously steering myself in my desired direction or am I being steered by other forces? What kind of world am I leaving behind for my children?

One thing I do now know of myself, which I did not know fully before, is that I will move forward steering my own course regardless. Despite of my own pain and suffering I know that when I believe in my dreams and I will follow through. Being an Aries helps too I guess.

I for one would hate to look back at my life and go: well, I wish I had done this... completed this... or lived more like this... I wish I had... What a waste of precious life that would be. And then the never knowing if doing all that would have made me and my loved ones happier, more fulfilled and complete. Argh, how aweful that would be! Why the fuck not do it right now and find out how ridiculously happy we can all be, living ALL OF IT!

Yeah, I'll stick with Mary:

So tell me, what is it you still plan to do with your one wild and precious life?