Dreams of tomorrow happen in the moments of today. I saw this real time last week as I walked to meet a friend for a climbing session.
My path took me past our community skate park. It was the first Friday of November. It was cold, minus 20 (albeit with wind chill, but who’s counting?); there was snow on the ground, not a lot, but enough.
As I approached the skate park I heard the voices of Friday-afternoon youth. I was surprised because it was cold. As the skate park and the youth came into view, I was shocked – gob-smacked even – there they were, two of them, and they were hanging out all right, and then some. Their boards were out, the snow ignored, they were working their tricks. Determined. Compelled to diligence through passion.
I stared in delight and they noticed. I called to them. “You’re winning at life”. I couldn’t help myself. The words just came out. They may have thought me crazy; some lady in an over-sized parka yelling at them. But that’s what I saw. Two youth, winning at life on a cold Friday afternoon in November.
In The 12-Week Year, Brian Moran suggests that greatness manifests way before any results can tell a great story. He suggests greatness is fostered in the moments of the days preceding great results; this is what I saw Friday of last week – greatness… incubating.
How are you spending your moments of today? And how might you direct these moments more fully towards your dreams for tomorrow? A good question to try on for size, for fun, for winning at life.