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How Will You Measure this Month?

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Laughter by David ShankboneImage via Wikipedia

Written by Karen D. Swim

“Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure – measure a year?
In daylights – in sunsets
In midnights – in cups of coffee
In inches – in miles
In laughter – in strife
In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life” –Seasons of Love, from the musical Rent

As I danced around in the gym after my workout singing this song along with the TV, (yes I danced and sang and could care less who was watching!), I considered the question. It is a brand new month, how would I measure it? What would I do with the next 31 days? What would I do with this day and the minutes, seconds and hours that stretched before me? Would my month be measured in smiles or tears? Would I measure it in chances taken or opportunities that passed me by?

Sweaty and winded, and flying high on endorphins I heard the music – the music of life. A heart pumping bass line accompanied by joyful horns that reminded me I was fully, completely alive.  I am here in this moment, in this time.  Yesterday is gone, but this moment is here. I could waste it with petty worries of things gone wrong, or plans that failed…or I could rejoice in the present.

“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.” —  From To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time, Robert Herrick

I have no stinking idea what tomorrow holds but today I intend to live and to live boldly. I will dance in the middle of the gym, laugh at my own jokes and live life at my own pace.  This month I will not play it safe, because the same flower that smiles today, tomorrow will be dying. If I take a risk and fall flat on my face, who cares? I will have lived, learned and created another blog post.

Now, it is your turn. How will you measure the month?  Be bold, express yourself, the mic is open.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCuMDMGLDKU]

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Comments

  1. Thanks for the inspirational thoughts and Zemanta love, Karen. Why do I get the feeling you approach every month boldly? As for me, bold is no problem in August. With a wedding coming up on the 30th, I’ll even be out on the dance floor, which for me is definitely living on the edge.

    Brad Shorrs last blog post..How Useful Are Google Alerts?

  2. @Friar – Your moons will be waning if you don’t lose some skipper pounds. I never thought about the moons we have left.

    Your right, Karen, of course. It’s about living a life worth living.

  5. @Karen

    Well, physically, I’m closer to the Skipper. But intellectually, I’m more like the Professor.

    Maybe I’d be the Skipressor.

    Either way, I’d be making a move for Ginger and/or Maryanne faster than you can say “a Three Hour Tour”.

    @Brett and Karen
    Sorry, when I think of Wonder Woman, the first thing that comes to mind is NOT the glass airplane.

    There are other…er…’attributes’ she has that catch my imagination first.

    Friars last blog post..Only in Splat Creek Ontario (*)…

  6. @Brett, super secret, invisible plane worthy of flying superheroes to their destination. 🙂

    @Friar, shhhhh, we won’t tell the guys. They would all be jealous. 🙂 So on the island would you have been the Skipper or the Professor? Hmmmm…

  7. Evelyn, I love that! It is a wonderful and beautiful way to live life. Your comments bring to mind the boat burning discussion Brett started over at http://6weeks.ca. You are so wonderfully wise Evelyn! Thank you!

    Ulla, journal writing is wonderful for writing.Melissa has a great discussion about it over at http://www.writingforward.com/ Pop in and visit if you have not done so already. I love journaling and have several different types of journal. The pen and paper truly seems to connect me to my inner thoughts. Who knows your journal thoughts may one day become the basis for your first book. 🙂

  8. Thanks Karen, for your wonderful post. I also love dancing – can’t resist from moving my feet when I hear a certain kind of music. (and “certain kind” goes from good old Rock’n Roll to Reggae to Irish Folk to Rolling Stones to Beach Boys to…) “Today I intend to live boldly” – great saying. I am more of the worrying kind, but after reading your post I will try to do just that – live boldly. And I’ve decided to write regularly in my daily journal. I often do this in my vacations – how did I use my free time? What does it mean, to live boldly – for each day? Having a daily journal helps me answering these questions.

    Ulla Hennigs last blog post..A Tree with Character

  9. Your post got me thinking.

    Hmmm…I’m going to live this month by choosing not to measure at all. Measuring to me brings about attachment. Attachment to results obtained or unobtained, attachment to body, security and other external factors. It’ll be great to taste freedom! This, however, does not mean that I do not put in work where it is needed.

    And when the end of the month comes, I will review it not for measurement or judgement against myself, but for understanding and awareness.

    Evelyn Lims last blog post..Happy Friendship Day – Sunday August 3, 2008

  12. @Ellen, oh duh, shoulda clicked the link, *thunks head* It’s BUSINESS TIME, Flight of the Conchords. Whoo hoo!

    @Friar, I agree with Brett, you are pretty good at doing what makes you happy (oops are we blowing your cover?). Dude, you are so outed, creative, poetic, great friend, good with kids. Admit it you are actually dripping in syrupy sunshine! Heehehhehehe

    @Brett, a fire festival would be awesome and by the way we have all invited ourselves to your new home in New Zealand. Jaden’s allowing me to fly the plane. 🙂

  13. @Karen,

    That’s what I thought. I’m wondering if I should try and start something like that. I have a place in mind, and maybe the person who owns the property would go for it. It sure would be fun, and seeing as it is within driving distance, all of you could come.

    @Ellen,

    Google is hijacking your link to some comedy duo from New Zealand.

    (Hmm, is this a sign for me?)

    @Friar,

    That’s just the thing, isn’t it. It doesn’t mean to get all worried and stuff, but it does mean that you’ve got to do what makes *you* happy. And I think you’re pretty good at that.

    Brett Legrees last blog post..viking fridays – burn the boats, revisited.

  14. Speaking of the passing of months. Recently, when I saw the full moon, I asked myself: how many more will I ever see?

    Seems like it’s a huge number, but it’s not. I’m 44. Assume I live to be 90. That’s 45 x 12 = just over 500 full moons. For the rest of my life.

    Subtract the days it’s cloudy, or I’m busy and forget to look, the number shrinks considerably.

    Assuming I even LIVE to be 90. Maybe I won’t.

    Holy shit….I’m only on this planet once, and it’s already at least half over. Suddenly the number of remaining full moons has become finite.

    Now I don’t take full moons for granted anymore. I appreciate them a whole lot more.

    That now goes for a lot of other stuff, too.

    Friars last blog post..Only in Splat Creek Ontario (*)…

  15. Ah my dear E this is what love about you! You are like a modern day flower child. That did sound good! Nice juxtaposition of intensity and serenity which I am sure is due to today’s heat index. It is that kind of day, serene yet intense. For me it’s not so much about checking things off this month, but just fully living each day. I’ve got goals, big ones in fact. I’m having a sales contest and the prize is a Mac *eyes open wide transfixed on the glow emanating from the Mac in my head* oh wait I’m back, yea prize is Mac. Ah but it’s Friday, it is PLAY TIME! Whoo hoo!!

  17. I will measure this month by the heat intensity of my serenity burning through all of my illusions.

    I don’t know, Karen. That just sounded good.

    A month is too much for me to bit off and chew.

    What if I don’t accomplish everthing I want too? What will happen then? Then I just add it to the list for next month.

    Anyway. It’s Friday. It’s Business Time!

    http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4TSHB_enUS220US220&q=flight+of+the+concords

    Ellen Wilsons last blog post..Ethics in Photography

  18. Funny story, I almost answered Melissa on Brett’s blog because I forgot where I had this conversation. LOL! It’s nice to have a blogging family that travels to visit one another so often we can open one another’s fridge and curl up on the couch. Anway, I digress, Melissa dancing is so cathartic! I am sure that even as people watched me they wished they had the guts to just dance! LOL! Here’s another cool little video: http://shankman.com/where-the-hell-is-matt-is-back/

    Ooh Brett, that festival site was really cool. If you make it Edinburgh you’ll have to connect with the Scottish bloggers! They are a fun group! Burn the boat and dance, love it!!!

  19. Karen,

    Awesome post – and I agree with Melissa, dancing is something special. That’s why this is on my list of places to go and things to do:

    http://www.beltane.org/index.en.shtml

    (I’m really onto this fire festival stuff.)

    But to answer your question – I give myself the month to burn one boat in particular, and launch a business I should have launched years ago. I know what I love, I know I want to do it, I know I’m not doing it. The measure will be getting it going. More to follow at my blog…

    Thanks for the words – Brett

    Brett Legrees last blog post..viking fridays – burn the boats, revisited.