"The only thing that is constant is change"
Heraclitus.
See, there isn’t always a next time.
I learned this, luckily, not through heartbreaking tragedy.
I learned it over some late-night sushi, karaoke and a few too many sake bombs.
There was a group of girls – Jessica, Nicole and I - that would hang out as often as possible. We’d go for sushi, have some wine, chat and laugh until our stomachs hurt.
That summer, I went to Europe and I was gone for almost a month. The night I got home, my girlfriends planned a night out to catch up.
I was exhausted.
Troy and I had been traveling for over 42 hours. We trained from Berlin to Frankfurt. Flew from Frankfurt to Vancouver. We sky-trained, sea-bused, drove, and then flew again from Vancouver to Calgary. And then Calgary to Fort McMurray. And drove home.
The last thing I wanted to do was go out. I just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep because I had to work the next morning (needless to say, I like to maximize my vacation time).
Can you relate?
But a little part of me just felt like I should go. I should at least say hello to the girls. So as Troy went to bed, I went out.
It was the best thing I did.
Being around fun people, I woke up.
I laughed until my stomach hurt.
I karaoke-ed until I lost my voice.
I forgot about being tired.
I told them about my trip. I shared stories of boating with my family in Croatia. About how delicious the food in Italy was and what an original Bellini from Harry’s Bar in Venice actually was (spoiler alert – it’s not from a slushy machine and it IS life-changing). I heard about Jessica and Nicole’s summer, full of camping, working, and taking in the long Northern summer nights.
Nothing made this dinner a special occasion.
It would have been so easy to stay in bed.
There was nothing monumental about this dinner.
There was no one unusual there or from out of town visiting.
There was no special food on the menu that night.
No happy hour deals. No “restaurant-closing” events.
I had every reason to avoid going.
It would have been easy to say “I’ll go next time.”
I cringe to think about what would have happened if I had said that.
There’s 2 things I learned that night:
- I felt so much better as soon as I got to my dinner plans. The hardest thing is often getting off the couch and out of the house. I always feel great once I’ve gotten out of my house and I’m on my way!
- Things change. Always. In hindsight, I learned that this was our last dinner together as a sushi girl-gang. And every moment matters.
Now I promised you this wasn’t tragic and it’s not.
BUT….
All of my friends moved away within 6 weeks of that dinner. None of us knew it at the time. But within 2 months, we were all in different cities.
That had been our last chance.
I learned that...
There isn’t always a “next time.”
I’ve had the pleasure of continuing my friendship with both of these incredible women.
If it’s something that is important, I need to make time for it.
We’ve danced in Hawaii for Nicole’s wedding.
We sipped wine together in Kelowna for my wedding.
We cooked a gourmet meal in Canmore for Jessica’s stagette.
But we have never again had sushi and sake bombs at our watering hole.
That simple dinner taught me to embrace the moment because things always change.
So, is there something you have been waiting for the perfect moment to do?
Are you choosing too often to stay in instead of have fun because you’re too tired?
Do you only make exceptions when you expect things to be unique? Do you only make the effort when it’s a weekend? A special occasion? An out-of-town guest?
What are you saying no to because “it’s a school night?” (Even though you and I know perfectly well you’re not in school. And it’s just an excuse).
Take my story and learn from it too. It’s not incredibly dramatic. It doesn’t involve heartbreak, or tragedy.
But it is truth.
I want you to seize the moment.
Because this moment is the only one like it.
And it’s yours for the taking.
Go get it.
- Lisa
Success Coach
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