There were two women I loved deeply when I was younger and once again – in no small part because of alcohol and drugs – both relationships ended. My fault. Deep emotional scars. What if they hadn’t?… I’ll never know. They’re both on Facebook. Neither will accept my friend request. Ouch. I’d love to know where their lives are at now, but… that curiosity only runs one way I guess. A stinging reminder of the person I was when I used…

Physically I could do a lot of things I can’t even begin to do these days. It’s crazy the abuse a human body can take and still keep on going. I did not honor the vehicle I was given at all. I abused it. What if I had taken better care of myself back then?… I’ll never know.

Mentally, I was full of self-doubt and insecurity. I could in no way see what was actually possible for me. Until I got sober, I don’t think I even gave it much thought. I was living to get high and hoping the band would get signed, you know?… what if I had been sober back then, and really worked on it instead of just making the party the number one goal in my life?… I’ll never know.

As we age, we lose our ability to physically do things we could when we were younger. And, hopefully – we grow as humans. We gain some confidence. We learn from our mistakes. Our souls never age, but we need to pay close attention to our minds. Because if we let ourselves think ourselves old, well – “age can be wasted on the aged”.

We can’t do what we could do with our bodies when we were young, but we can certainly do something every day to stay healthy. It also helps our state of mind when we pay attention to physical fitness.

We often get to a point where we don’t have too many concerns about money, we could certainly afford to travel, or buy a new car, or even just attend other local events, but… it’s easier not to do that stuff.

Sometimes we just don’t even try something new any more as the effort doesn’t seem worth it. It’s easier to do as little as possible. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, until and unless an old person moves into your head and you start focusing more on what you can’t do than what you can do. Then you’re wasting the time you spent acquiring the knowledge you have.

Stay open and free mentally. Keep the fire inside. Don’t ever lose your will to live, to explore, to try new things, to meet new people. We get one shot. Age should not be wasted on the aged. This is the time to put it all together and wake up every morning thinking “what an incredible life I’ve had”. Then strive to keep that ball rolling.

And, for you youngsters – be aware and conscious of the gifts you’ve been given. Honor them. My past is my past, I can’t change it. I used drugs and alcohol, and I’m actually quite fine with it these days. I wouldn’t be who I am had I not had those experiences. There are many I’d rather not look back on, but today? Just waking up sober is a big deal. And no matter what happens – a bad day sober is better than a good day high (IMO). Fifteen years of my life were spent nursing those addictions. I wouldn’t recommend it.

I would recommend this: no matter what end of the spectrum you’re on, do everything you can to stay as physically and mentally fit and stable as possible. Youthful enthusiasm is a great thing, but so is common sense. And as we age, keep looking for things to do, stop focusing on what you can’t do. And internally, be grateful. Know the value in every moment. Love hard. Be kind. Frequently stand in wonder and awe and amazement. Life is incredible if you think it is. Let’s not waste a minute wondering what might have been… we only have now. Make it count. What a gift.