Little Lessons

“What we need is not the will to believe but the will to find out.” – Bertrand Russell

It was a cool morning, with fog hanging over the harbor like a shroud. The sailboats looked like silent ghosts – their bare masts reminiscent of guards’ pikes in front of a castle gate. But the sea didn’t need protection, not on a day like this.

I drank my coffee in the calm that accompanied the fog. It seemed even the birds were taking the day off. The only sound was from the soft waves lapping at the pier. No one would be going out today.

The silence was suddenly broken. A diesel engine coming to life.

"A day without laughter is a day wasted." - Charlie Chaplin

PS – There’s a bonus “little lesson” at the end of this post.

After finishing a productive day at a client in Brooklyn, New York, I needed to decompress. I took off my tie, hung the suitcoat in the back seat, and pointed the car due south. To the tip of the island – to Coney Island.

In the late 19th century, an amusement park opened in this seaside resort. There were rides, food stands and sideshows. The Coney Island boardwalk and beaches transformed the peninsula. Every weekend, throngs of people rode the trains from New York City to escape the confines of the tenements.

This was Thursday, not the weekend, so I didn’t expect any crowds. In fact, that was essential to my plan. I was going to ride the world’s oldest wooden roller coaster – The Cyclone.

“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." – Lewis Carroll (The White Queen in “Alice in Wonderland”)

My favorite mornings are when I wake up while still in the middle of a dream. I’ll lie there for a few moments and write my own ending to the story. Depending on the dream, I may fall back to sleep. Thank goodness for snooze alarms!

“Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” – Lewis Carroll

This month began with some exciting news – the Voyager 2 spacecraft reported an uptick in the number and type of cosmic rays it was encountering!

Okay, maybe that’s not exciting news to everyone. But for anyone who’s interested in space exploration, the announcement from NASA points to an imminent milestone. In the coming months, the spacecraft will be the second man-made object to leave the solar system. We will have another messenger among the stars.

“Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours.” – Les Brown

A few years ago, my wife and I went to a Joan Osborne concert. It was a wonderful evening with Joan singing some of her classics, some blues standards, and some songs she hasn’t recorded yet. Accompanied only by a piano player (and her iPod), Joan’s sultry and soulful voice still has the power it had in the 1990s.

The surprise of the evening was the opening act. I love opening acts.

“If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again.” – Flavia Weedn

30 years ago, this week, a doctor’s pronouncement meant the end to a dream. This month, it happened again.

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.” – Ernest Hemingway

Summertime.

Trips to the beach. Cookouts and barbeques in the back yard. Vacations filled with adventures. Vacations filled with time spent relaxing and reading.

It’s also the perfect time to reflect on the past and contemplate the future.

“You are the storyteller of your own life and you can create the legend or not.” - Isabel Allende

Good storytellers know that the best tales have attention-getting beginnings, dynamic middles and unexpected endings.

Regardless of the circumstances, our birth was an amazing experience. One that we had no control over. And we can be sure that we captured the attention of everyone around us.

We may live for 100 years and pass away peacefully in our sleep. Or, fate may decide that our time will come much more quickly. None of us know how our lives will end.

We get to write the dynamic middle. We decide how we’ll face each day. By our actions and attitude, we determine if we are heroes and heroines; or villains, victims or cads. We choose how we will dream, work and love.

No matter your age or situation, the next chapter begins today. Right now – this moment – presents a unique opportunity to change the narrative. To add to the current tale, or change the direction of the plot. Perhaps go completely off the script we’ve been following for years.

Amazingly, tomorrow brings the same potential. As does the next day.

We create our own legend.

We write our own story.

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis

A recent episode of "CBS Sunday Morning" included a story profiling several elite athletes – Dottie Gray, Dixon Hemphill and Orville Rogers. They’re known for winning gold medals and setting records at almost every track meet they enter. However, these runners won’t be competing in the Rio Olympics, as they’re 90, 91 and 98 years old.

Reporter Lee Cowan explained, for these runners, “There is no finish line, just the next race.” They’ll each continue to run races as long as they can. Any thoughts of quitting are shut out by a determination to hang in there.

The story resonated with me on several levels. First, I’m a runner. While I’m not setting any records, I love lacing up my shoes for early morning runs, whether at home or on the road. And I still get excited toeing the start line, even though my only competition is the timing clock.

More importantly, I’m now in my mid-50s, almost 50% older than the median age in the United States. The next marathon I run won’t be my fastest. Those days are over. But I can follow Dottie’s, Dixon’s and Orville’s examples – continue to train, sign up for a race, and do my best.

Their most important examples are about much more than running. It’s about a positive outlook on life and how to approach goals. At a time when most people choose to stop, they’re moving forward. They enjoy the paths they’ve on. They even seem amazed and amused by their own successes.

These are attributes we should all embrace. No matter how old we are, the journey goes on. Not just in our careers or other pursuits, but in our lives. We don’t know where the end lies, but it’s in front of us, not behind.

What’s the current destination of your journey? Is it where you want to go? Or do you want to head someplace else? Is there a challenge you want to chase? Is there a new dream you want to bring to reality?

If you want to change direction, or try something new, then now is the time. You have to decide to take a chance, and take that first step. You can make excuses for not pursuing your passion, or decide to make the attempt. The choice is yours. And that’s true whether you’re 34, or 54, or 74.

As Dottie says, “No matter how old you are, you’re never too old to start.”

(You can see the story on the CBS Sunday Morning YouTube channel).