Life Lessons — An Epic Life

1 04 2012

Chris Brady, best-selling author and Leadership Guru, recently published a blog called “Life Lessons“.  I pray each one of you takes the time to read it and ponder some of its wisdom.  The statement that jumped out at me was “In my journal”.  How many of us keep a journal?  How many of us take the time to record our life?  How many of us take all the great triumphs and trials of life and record them?  How many of us wish we could remember that “one day” “when we did ___”?  Ever stopped to think about why?

Watch this video:Our Deepest Fear

I recently hit one of those mile-stone birthdays and started to think about what has been accomplished under the heading ‘Aron J. Radosa’.  Now, I am not here to get into some deep, philosophical trench on the meaning of life or the aches and pains of time lost.  I believe too many people spend their time on regrets and not on what is now and next.  Back to this whole journal thing,  John Eldredge, author of the best-selling, Wild at Heart, also wrote a book called, “Epic”.  It is a great illustration of what J.R.R.Tolkien wrote, “I wonder what sort of tale we’ve fallen into?” Anyone of history that has made a difference has written a journal.  “In his journal, we find…”  “His writings show us…”  “Her diary gave us a whole new perspective on …”  These statements are found throughout history.  They come from the present time as we look back to gain wisdom and truth.  With this in mind, why are we not writing down our life as we travel through it?

I think it stems from the feeling of insignificance that so many people feel.  Not many feel that they have a tale to tell.  It is as if we just move day-to-day without change.  And to journal this would be the definition of insanity, do the same thing over and over and expect change.  Who would care?  I WOULD!  Until I got around the founders of the LIFE company, I can honestly say my thoughts were more like, “who cares?!?”  But so many people do.  Your story brings life to others.  Being in the strong community that LIFE has created, brings me around true heroes everyday.  I love hearing the story of a trial and a triumph.  I love hearing the story of how people met each other.  I love the story of how someone’s career developed to this point.  I love to ask veterans about their experiences.  I am fascinated by YOUR story.  Now write it down!  Ronald and Nancy Reagan made a promise to each other to write down at least one sentence a day.  As they looked back on that thought, it brought forth the rest of the story ( a little Paul Harvey-ease).  It is as simple as that.

Now picture that wide-open vista.  The rolling hills or the armies stretched across the horizon.  You look to the right and the left and all that is needed is a nod of the head.  A gesture that says “I AM WITH YOU TO THE END”.  You hear the soundtrack of “Last of the Mohicans” or “Braveheart” or “Band of Brothers” playing on the wind.  You are the main character, and it is your story. You play your part.  And write it down for the world to know.

The Bridge Builder

BY WILL ALLEN DROMGOOLE

An old man going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide.
Through which was flowing a sullen tide
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
The sullen stream had no fear for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting your strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day,
You never again will pass this way;
You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build this bridge at evening tide?”
The builder lifted his old gray head;
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followed after me to-day
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been as naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!
Our bridges of tomorrow,  lie in the life and words we leave for the next generation.  Wisdom through your experience will change someone else’s life.
God bless, Aron
Steel the mind and Tender the heart.