02 Apr A Life or Death Situation

“Death is just nature’s way of telling you to slow down”     Dick Sharpies

He wasn’t one who wanted to look back on his life and say, “I wish I spent more time in the office.”       Anonymous

“Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children and the younger generation.  For they are us, our bodies are only wilted leaves on the tree of life.”  ~Albert Einstein

Death is a topic that most of us avoid until we’re forced by circumstance to deal with it.  We tend to take life, and the time it provides us with, for granted.  We put things off until tomorrow based on the firm belief that it will be there for us.

How different our lives would be had we been given a Life Manual at birth that outlined what it was that we’re supposed to be doing with our lives along with our death date so we knew how much time we had to accomplish it. But death remains life’s greatest mystery (how ironic!).  Most of the lasting philosophies and religions address the issue of death, but no matter what we may believe, we have no way of truly knowing what it will be like. But we should all realize and accept that it is coming.  Our inevitable death is something that all humans regardless of race, sex or religion have in common.

If we knew that we only had a year to live, would our lives change or would we just carry on living as we had been?

Would we continue to go to work because we find it fulfilling?

Would we remain in a relationship with our current partner?

Would we treat others differently or be more honest with them?

Would we be more honest with ourselves?

Would we spend more time with our children and grandchildren?

Would we remain calm or do something drastic, like start spending all of our savings?

Would we take up an extreme sport knowing we didn’t have much time to lose anyway?

Most of us would make some changes to our lives and routine if we knew our days were numbered, yet we refuse to accept they are, in fact, limited.  We just don’t know when the big wheel stops turning.

Here’s another quotation… this time from Seneca, a first century Roman philosopher….

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Maybe we’d all be better off if we were preparing for our lives to end sooner rather than later.  Aside from the attraction of real estate as an investment, Fractional Ownership at Sunrise Ridge Waterfront Resort does provide the opportunity to break the routines we’ve created for ourselves (or have allowed others to create for us).  A couple of weeks or months here, either on your own or with family and friends is a very different experience than sitting at home.

If you want some quiet, meditative time for yourself, it’s here.  If you want a little excitement; Wild Play, bungee jumping, skydiving, fishing, exploring a cave, surfing, skiing & snowboarding, hang gliding, sky diving and river cliff jumping are all available as day trips with Sunrise Ridge as your home base.  And don’t forget about walking on the bottom of the ocean when the tides out at Rathtrevor Beach!

Why not take charge of the time you have left and start some new routines and traditions that include things you’d really like to do?  Want to spend more time with your grandchildren?  You may find it’s easier to get them to come to your “vacation home”  for a visit than sleeping in your spare room at home.  How about everyone getting together here for Christmas and/or New Years?  How about giving Mom and Dad some time to themselves by having the grandkids out here for a week or two during the summer?  Have you noticed how different kids can be when they’re away from their parents?

 This is your life….  your time…. your decision.