You Don’t Have Time

The past few weeks have been heavy. Two clients lost close family friends without warning. Another, overjoyed by a first pregnancy, miscarried the following week. One client faced the first anniversary of his father’s untimely passing, while another was diagnosed with throat cancer. A college friend’s dad is still battling cancer. A young client lost her father, and a senior client said goodbye to his mom.

Life is fragile. Each morning, when my eyes open, I thank the Lord for another day. It drives me crazy to watch people squander time as if they had an endless supply. Life isn’t a dress rehearsal; this is your one shot—make it count.

Leverage Your Strengths

“When I was 19, I did a guy in Laos from a thousand yards out. It was a rifle shot in high wind. Maybe eight or even ten guys in the world could have made that shot. It’s the only thing I was ever good at.”
Martin Riggs – Lethal Weapon

Riggs is a tragic hero—scarred by special-forces service and the loss of his wife—yet he knew his strength and devoted his life to protecting the innocent.

Do you know your strengths? If not, a tool like CliftonStrengths can help. You’ve found your vocational sweet spot when passion, skill, and economic viability intersect. Unfortunately, only about one-third of today’s workforce is truly engaged at work; the rest live, in Henry David Thoreau’s words, “lives of quiet desperation.”

Life is too short to stay in a role that doesn’t let you serve the world with your unique gifts. Change may require new skills and time, but that time will pass anyway. Discipline today weighs ounces; regret tomorrow weighs tons. Do the work now so you can look back with gratitude rather than shame.

Play the Short Game

“Damn, that Clubber’s strong. Fifteen rounds is a long time. We gotta put him away early. I figure with the pace we’ve set, Rock can last maybe seven or eight rounds. Then we’ll be out of steam, man. We’ve got to put him away early.”
Apollo Creed – Rocky III

I saw the original Rocky in grade school and have loved the first four films ever since. In Rocky III, Apollo and coach Tony “Duke” Evers study footage of Rocky’s first bout with Clubber Lang. Overmatched and rattled by trainer Mickey’s heart attack moments before the fight, Rocky was knocked out early.

For the rematch, Apollo’s plan was simple: strike fast, strike hard, and finish early. They trained Rocky for speed and endurance, knowing that trading blows for fifteen rounds would end badly.

Until this month, I’d never seen that rematch as a metaphor for life. In real life, Clubber Lang is Father Time—and Father Time is undefeated. My goal isn’t to depress you but to ignite urgency. Plan for a long life, but live each day as though it were your last. You’ll achieve more and feel more alive in the process.

There is No Tomorrow

“There is no tomorrow!”
Apollo Creed – Rocky III

This iconic line pierces the heart of procrastination. During a sparring session, Apollo pummels a despondent Rocky, who mutters, “I’ll get it tomorrow.” Apollo roars back, “There is no tomorrow!”

Rocky was terrified: he’d been humiliated by Clubber and had lost Mickey. Confidence gone, he drifted toward the path of least resistance—a path most of us know too well.

Many people believe action follows feeling, but when it comes to significant change, waiting until you “feel like it” is a trap. Action precedes motivation. We already do countless daily tasks out of discipline and responsibility, not inspiration. The best things in life lie uphill and on the far side of struggle. Don’t wait to feel motivated—act your way into feeling. It’s always worth it.

Closing thoughts for my readers:

My maternal grandfather was 78 when he went home to the Lord in July 2003. I was 35, but I still remember what he told me when I was 15 and he was 58: “Your life will go by so fast it’ll blow your mind. You’ll turn around a few times, and the next thing you know, you’ll be my age.” I’m now only three years shy of his age then—and he was right.

If you’re not where you want to be in any area of life, take action now. We aren’t guaranteed the next five minutes, much less tomorrow.

Remember: you don’t have time.

Best of luck on your journey.