every so often, i perform a status check on my life. i do this by envisioning myself closer to the end of life -often age 85- sitting on a front porch rocking in a chair and smiling softly. :-) then i imagine what thoughts cause me to smile? typically, i think of family, friends, loves, partner/wife and travels. did i live w integrity? did i love? live w joy? yes. yes. yes. any regrets? no. you see w 40+ years before i rock on that porch, each day, i live intending to make certain that i answer "yes-yes-yes-no".

this morning while performing this exercise i became a wee bit emotional: joy at sight of my son and his children visiting me and, interestingly, sadness and tears for many of us who spend our lives focused all those things that will fail to arouse that smile while we rock on the porch. many give much energy to unfulfilling emotions: anger, hate, victimhood, misery, pain, fear. what will cause all of us to smile? love. love matters. a life w/o love likely feels empty while rocking. how do we receive love? how do those who we love want love? share love today. at age 85, for my son to desire to visit me with his children, i must cultivate that love today while he's 6 yrs old. build an unbreakable heart connection. who do we want by our sides on our life journey? what do we want said at our funeral? thank you god for the amazing relationships in my life. thank you friends for enriching my life. be love today. be joy today.