I get it now

At any given stage of my life, I’ve been absolutely sure that I totally ‘got it’.  I understand everything and can objectively look at life situations and say “yeah… I know all about that”.  Inevitably, as I enter each new stage of my life, I look back and think to myself “you didn’t have a damn clue”.  I’m in the middle of just that kind of realization right now.

Here I sit in a beautiful hotel, in the heart of what will always be my happy place.  Today I fulfilled a dream then had a room full of very talented people take time out of their lives to hear me speak.  I drove through a major metropolis seeing sights on the horizon that many people never get to see in their lifetime.   … and that was all before lunch.

I have interesting work with interesting challenges.  I’ve been afforded a work/life situation that can really only be described as a dream come true.  It’s true, I know it and I feel it.

For the last few weeks a little phrase has been on a constant loop in my brain because I finally get it.

“Work to live, don’t live to work”

All these wonderful things, which I appreciate so much, just wouldn’t be worth a hill of beans if it weren’t for the life I have beyond them.  The life provided by my wonderful wife and my soon-to-be-born son.

Here I sit in a beautiful hotel, in the heart of what will always be my happy place  …and my heart aches to be so far away.

All the effort and energy I put into my work…  work that I do genuinely love.  All that effort is really about contributing to a life that makes me happy in ways I didn’t know were possible. I’m excited every day to do my part to contribute to that life.  I want to work hard so Janey can feel secure and I can, in some small way of my own, say thank you to her for everything she does for me.  I don’t think my contributions compare to the support and love she shows me… or carry the meaning of that hug when I finish my work-day every day.  …but I’ll keep crackin’ at it.

So, I get it. I understand what they mean now when they say to make sure you’re working to live, not living to work.  I understand why.  And, true to form, I see that I really didn’t have a damn clue before.  But I get it now.