In looking for one thing…I found something else.
I found an old file in the camp archives. This file folder was a treasure trove of pretty cool documents dating back over 40 years. There were lists of campers, vision statements, board meeting minutes, lists of volunteers, notes from planning and strategy meetings and much more.
As I looked over these documents I could feel the excitment, the sense of purpose and mission calling to me over the years. The yellowed pages whispered their dreams to me; letters of hope for the future. I could sense the struggle and striving of the battle in their words.
Today, many of the folks who wrote these things are gone; and have been for years. Many of the dreams they had died away with them. And now as I read through this file, I'm surprised that I'm dealing with some of the same issues now, trying to find the same answers today that they were looking for then.
Is this really just one big cycle? I've got to believe that my purpose here is more than just struggling with the same things folks struggled with in the past.
What can I do differently today to make sure that someone isn't reading through my notes 40 years from now with the same sense of regret? What can do to make my life and work here today become a valuable legacy for those who come after me?
"Carpe Diem" is a much over-used Latin phrase but it's relevant to me today. I will seize this day. My work and words won't be reduced to dry yellowing pages decades from now. I will seek out opportunities to make an impact on the lives of others.
How about you?
In the words of Mr. Keating…"Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary!"
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