“Live every day like it is your last”
Yes it is cliché, but before you jump to conclusions read it again and REALLY think about what that motto can mean to you. The above is an old adage that holds so much and can change the way you look at your life. With my collegiate career coming to an end, the opportunity to share what I learned presented itself in the form of a final presentation. In my presentation I made sure to explain how much I had learned from my mentors and coaches, yet I failed to mention that the the most eloquent message I received this year was from a friend of mine that I had offended.
The spring semester in the UCF Professional Selling Program is ultimately a marathon of competition. As someone who hates to be second, this semester sent me through a roller coaster of emotion in search for the win. Slowly I began to lose sight of what was important and became consumed by the work I was doing. The week our semester project was due, a friend of mine passed by with a distasteful look on her face. I immediately took notice and needed to figure out why I had been on the receiving end of such an immobilizing glare.
She mentioned how the only thing I spoke of throughout the semester was regarding the work I had been doing and how I had forgotten to invest in the relationships of those around me. After an extensive conversation, we came to the realization that I had become consumed in work and unknowingly lost sight of what really mattered to me. I had such thirst for a victory that I put my friends and family on the back burner. Yet this exchange was sadly not the first time that I had been made aware of my unconscious actions, it was just the first time I acknowledged that I had to reorganize how I balanced my life. I now look in the mirror in the morning and can recall what motivates me to work so fervently. At a young age, I realized how crucial keeping your life balanced really is…
So what does this mean to you?
You will always have deadlines and work that can easily fill your planner! Yet when you look at the lingering to-do list do you have an answer as to why you fill your day and work so hard? Whatever your answer may be, make sure you never lose sight of it! Never become so consumed by your work that you get lost in it and forget what really motivated you to work so passionately in the first place! Remember to focus on the finish line, but never become so consumed by the marathon that you forget who or what is cheering for you on the sidelines!
- J.C.
