“The secret to living the life of your dreams is to START living the life of your dreams.”
—Mike Dooley
What gets you up in the morning with a smile and an “I can hardly wait”?
Children are masters of “I can hardly waits.” They are laser-focused when they decide they want something. They want it all and they want it now. And they “can hardly wait” until the day when they get it.
When my nephew, Robert, was four years old, both of his older sisters were on tee-ball teams. They had bright, crisp uniforms and practiced every week. When game day came, the whole family sat in the bleachers and cheered them on. More than anything else, Robert wanted to play tee-ball.
But there were no tee-ball teams for four-year-olds. The minimum age was five. Mama Jane patiently explained this to him every time he watched his sisters play. “Okay, I’m going to play tee-ball, too,” Robert said. “Just as soon as I’m five. I can hardly wait!”
Then one warm spring afternoon, Jane, Robert, the two girls, and their dad went to the neighborhood park. There were several families there already, and they had started a pick-up game of tee-ball. Laughing, the girls and their parents ran out on the field to join in the fun. But Robert stayed behind.
Jane turned around and saw Robert on the sidelines looking dejected.
“Come on, Robert,” she called, “You can play with us today!”
“No, I can’t,” said Robert.
“Yes, you can!” Jane exclaimed. “Today you can play.”
“I can?!” Robert asked, wide-eyed with excitement. “Am I five??”
Today, let’s all be five. Let’s play tee-ball or basketball or tennis or poker or Wheel of Fortune. Let’s join a group and play a game for all we’re worth.
Let’s play the Game of Life for all we’re worth. It’s the only game in town, and the only way to lose is not to play, crying “I don’t know what I want.”
Take the baby steps, baby!
