The Urgency of a Full Life

In one of my favorite movies, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the main character comes to the realization that his life is not noteworthy or mentionable. He goes from a mostly boring life to having some of the craziest adventures of his life, traveling across the globe in search of a person from his company. Without giving away the entire plot, he goes from daydreaming about a better life to living a better life. He begins living up to his potential.

I remember watching this movie in high school and feeling both inspired and challenged to live a full life. I didn’t want to be stuck in boredom where I wondered how I got there. I used to tell people that my three greatest fears in life were: 1) settling in life 2) the ocean 3) getting fat. At the top of the list was settling – feeling like I didn’t live up to my potential. It’s why I’ve always been inspired by books, movies and speeches that talk of bucket lists and how to live a more full life.

In fact, the times that I feel most ready to die are the moments I realize I could die today. That might seem like a strange thought to have, especially for someone in their late 20s, but I think it’s worth considering. We are never aware of how much time we have left, and if we take it for granted, it will fly by.

Steve Jobs, the founder and creator of Apple, met his wife at a Stanford business lecture. They hit it off and Jobs realized right away that he wanted to ask her out on a date. Even though he had a business dinner scheduled that night, he canceled it and decided to go out with her anyway, famously saying he asked himself if he'd rather spend his last night on earth in a meeting or with her. They went on to marry each other in 1991 and have several kids before Jobs’ death in 2011.

Just because it could be your last night doesn’t mean you need to do something risky or radical, but you never know. If we think like that, it might force us to make some better decisions instead of opting for the easiest choice available. Realizing that death is theoretically on our doorstep – even when there’s nothing that points to that idea – could be the reason our life turns from ordinary to extraordinary. As British minister Matthew Henry once said, “It ought to be the business of everyday to prepare for our final day."

I could keep writing about this forever, giving you more quotes and more stories, but it all comes down to the same thing: what are you doing to live a full life? What are you doing to optimize your potential? The goal isn’t perfection, the goal is attempting. Every attempt at something is moving you closer to it. Life is short, so let’s make the most of it.