My Facebook buddy, Scott Ames posted this insightful thought.  It’s too good not to keep for posterity:  “When I get flustered, down, or stressed I sometimes come back to the phrase ‘100 years from now it won’t matter’ . In 100 years everyone I know, including my 1 1/2 old will be gone.”

Sometimes I look at old black and white pictures from the 1800’s or early 1900’s and realize the children in those shots are gone now. I read old accounts of people’s lives and they had stress, they had worries, they had pain and sorrow and problems. All of those are gone. All their concerns are over.

Did you ever leave a job and look back and wonder why you feared the boss so much? Did you wonder why you stressed out and worried about deadlines, perfection, or being on time? Once you leave it seems all a fantasy. All the pressure is off. You look at that boss with new eyes and wonder why you acted like a military cadet.

Life is short.

You had better do what you want or it’s going to be over before you get those things done. When you are on your death bed are you going to wish you had spent more time at work making someone else money or are you going to wish you had spent more time with family and doing the things you enjoy? Do them now. Find a way. Maybe it’s not easy, but it’s worth it.

As one of my friends once said “It doesn’t matter anyway, and what if it did?” I like that. ( Rand Laird )

I do need to take my own advice as I have spent way too much time trying to please others and have ignored my own passions. My passion now is helping my wife achieve her goals, and my passion is also my children. I have not done everything in life I’ve wanted to do. Some things are too far gone to realize. ( fighter pilot, commercial pilot ) , but I can certainly find joy in supporting my wife in her dreams. That makes me happy.”