How will you use your 29,000? 🍂
↩️UNFOLLOW University — October 20, 2023
Happy Friday!
This week I celebrated a mini-miracle: 16,000 days of life.
What doesn’t seem like a major milestone is actually a big deal given my first day on earth was potentially my last. According to my mother, the doctor’s prognosis for the premature baby arriving 2 months too early was pretty grim.
I proved him wrong. The average human lifespan is 29,000 days (79 years) so I have about 12,783 days of life left. Maybe.
Chadwick Boseman got 15,705 days of life.
Kobe Bryant got 15,158 days.
My good friend, Jo Calfee, got 15,632.
My best friend, Robert McCreary, got 7,050.
The exhilarating highs and indescribable lows of this year have gifted me a clarity of purpose I hope to protect at all costs.
That starts with facing a critical fact: I can’t take anything with me when I leave but I can leave everything behind.
🤯 Radical Truth
Life is not a race but we all have a finish line.
I don’t know how many days I have but I can direct each day I get. The legacy I leave behind is not what happens once I’m gone, but rather, what I do while I’m here.
Every day is a step towards what I will become.
In 2021, when I left my corporate job, I threw away my to-do list. My inbox and calendar no longer controlled my focus or my time. I got infinitely less popular when I was no longer running a $7B brand. 😬
I sat down and made a more important list. A to-be list. I decided what I wanted my days to look like. I was also deciding what my life would look like.
Instead of allowing my to-do list to make decisions for me, my to-be list became the boss of where I would spend my time.
I wanted to be...
A father who is active & present in the daily lives of his children.
A husband who serves his wife by putting her first.
An author who writes daily, publishes weekly and tells courageous stories.
A leader who impacts his community & industry with integrity.
A follower who lives his faith by serving others.
That was it. It didn’t take long to write because I knew who I needed to be even though I didn’t always give myself permission to be it. I knew I needed to be a better steward of my mental, physical & emotional health. I knew I didn’t need to waste time proving my value to people or organizations that refused to see it. I knew success would look different from now on.
For the past 2 years, this list has guarded my time and guided my decisions. My days look different and so does my life.
It’s not a recipe for building a winning career, getting more money or being popular. In fact, it’s likely that in the short term, one of these will go dormant for a season.
But it’s a great start to making your 29,000 days count.
They say I look old for my age. I turned 4 this week. 🎂
⚡️Courageous Question
How will you use your 29,000 days? What’s on your to-be list?
🗣 Wonderful Words
“The thing about purpose is that it unfolds to you more and more every day. It doesn’t just stop as you do one thing. Purpose is not related to career. It’s related to what God put inside you that you’re supposed to give to the world.”
🙏🏽 Prayer Package
God, teach me to number my days that I may gain a heart of wisdom. I know I won’t have to violate your principles to receive your promise. Today, give me the courage to be who you created and to fulfill the assignment you have in store. Instead of inviting you into my life, help me see your daily invitations to join your mission by serving your people. Amen.
🎵 All For One - Diana Ross ☝🏽
🛠 Practical Tool
Nothing fancy this week. Just an invitation for you to sit still and make a list of who you want to be. How will you spend your days? Your life?
Fill in the blank 4 - 5 times and share with one other person:
I want to be ____________________________.
If you’re new to UNFOLLOW University you can learn more about me here or check out my previous posts.
See you next UNFOLLOW Friday!
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Every Friday I’ll send you 5 courageous ideas to help you redesign your work life by making better career decisions:
🤯 Radical Truth - A story from me
⚡️ Courageous Question - A challenge for you
🗣 Wonderful Words - A quote worth remembering
🙏🏽 Prayer Package - A moment of meditation
🛠 Practical Tool - An actionable resource
