A client called me the other day. From the other end of the line I was told the most heart wrenching story I’ve heard in some time.

He told me he and his wife built a business together. They put off vacations and holidays knowing they could go later or sell the business and live off the profits. Then one day she left the office to run a quick errand. She’d be right back.

Soon afterward, several cars and a semi crashed on a local highway. There was one fatality.

He told me something I hope stays with me for a long time. He said, “Go home and hug your wife, your kids. You never know when they’ll be gone. Cherish them.”

It’s these conversations that make me take inventory.

Am doing too much work and neglecting those I love? Am I working overtime to buy that thing I want? Does it matter?

Then finally, is my life rich and full, exactly how I want it to be? Not in a selfish sense. But if I am writing too much and not paying attention to my kids, this is a problem.

There is a famous quote by a Isaac Asimov that goes like this –

“If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.”

I think that’s rubbish. If I had six minutes to live I’d reach out to those I love and tell them about love and joy, using the best sentences I could construct. If I could not reach them, I’d write a quick letter on a notepad.

Today, think about what you’d do differently. I’m not talking about that thing you did yesterday or last month. I’m talking about right now.

Are you loving people in your life? And are you living well or just getting by?