Are You Really Living?

One of my favorite movies of all time, “Braveheart”, is full of great quotes and inspiring messages. It’s hard to pick out the “best” one but this would be at the top of the list: “Every man dies, but not every man really lives.”

Although that message was directed at men who would have to risk their very necks to do what they knew to be right – men who would likely not live to see the outcome of their efforts – I think we all can take a lot away from those eight words. A life without significance is hardly a life at all, and very few have ever created anything of significance without much risk and difficulty.

Is that situation too extreme? Those Scottish rebels faced a degree of peril many of us can’t relate to and it may be unlikely you will ever be faced with a similar scenario. However, Oscar Wilde had a very similar thought when he wrote, “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” He penned that in the 1800’s but I think it’s even more true today.

We watch our blood pressure, get regular physicals, take vitamins, eat vegetables, wear our seatbelts and look both ways before we cross the street. We eat organic, avoid gluten and pay extra for side impact airbags. We put a lot of energy and effort into the avoidance of dying but how much do we invest in truly living?

To merely exist, what a horrific thought! How tragic would it be to be placed on this planet with passion and purpose and choose to simply exist when so much more was possible?!? We are so concerned with the potential risk of daring outside the box – paying the price to create something extraordinary – we underestimate the cost of NOT doing exactly that. Yes, the yoke of diligence and perseverance is significant, but it is nothing compared to bearing the weight of regret coming from ignoring the good we were designed to do.

Existing comes with little upfront cost, but living is priceless.

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