Making the most of every day

It's one of those unusual things but life has a funny way of reminding you every now and again about how fragile and short-lived our time on earth really is. And while we should be making the most of every day, trying to connect with something each day that makes us proud of who we are and what we did that day, instead we get caught. We get hooked by routines and distractions that consume the precious time and deflect us from seeing the opportunities all around us to make best use of the time. We waste what we have in a semi conscious state. We know deep down that we should run towards what is good for us but instead we run away from that and towards those things that just don't do us any good at all.

It has been a strange start to the year. There has been a fair bit of sadness and a fair bit of fear. We are all looking down at our feet and wondering what will lie ahead. Well that ends too because we've all got to move on.

Last weekend the family decided to climb a mountain. Not sure why but it just seemed like the right time to climb a mountain together. Not Everest or anything so difficult but a mountain in Ireland. So we loaded up into the car, my wife and I and the boys now aged 7 and 5.

It took a while and there was a brief moment of hesitation on my part about 20 metres from the top when it looked unlikely that our 5 year old could make it up and down the last part. My wife to her credit pushed us on and we all made it up to the top in the end without any huge difficulty.

My 7 year old and me on the easy part of the climb

I think that pause on my part was coming from a deep place inside me. It was the emblem of some self doubt that lingers in me at the moment. Yet I know I can climb on something in me tells me every now and then that maybe it's better not to try in case I fail. But then I remember there is only today. And after today there is only another today.

We sat on the top of the mountain and breathed in the smell of fresh air and achievement. It was good. And of course the return is always easier.

And so yesterday found us once again walking in the mountains having had a taste for the air and the freedom from distraction and the sense of wanting to do something with the day. So we headed off and found ourselves once again atop a little mountain, about 270 metres above the city and a beautiful view all around.

The view from the top of Carrickgollogan

Life can't always be about the good times because you can't control what comes your way. But you can control what you do with the time you have so why not make the most of every day and do something that makes you proud of how you spent the day.

p.s. my wife took these pictures. Aren't they great!

p.p.s. Thanks Megan for checking in with me. Appreciate you doing that.