Goals...and other things

After a long hiatus, I'm back to the blog world. I don't even know if anyone even reads this thing, but it's at least good for me to be able to look back on. I was just reading through some old blog entries and ran across the one from April 2, 2009. I made a list of 10 things I wanted to accomplish in my lifetime. To my surprise, a year later, I've already done 6 or 7 of them! (recorded some original songs, got accepted to seminary, am serving as a missionary, have learned some basic cooking skills, have a plane ticket to go back to Sri Lanka, went skydiving, and even started writing a book). (Me and my friend Masa after we went skydiving!!!)

There's something very satisfying about marking things off of a to-do list. It makes me feel like I'm working towards a goal and it's liberating to accomplish those tasks. But today as I was journaling in a cute coffee shop in Kailua, I realized how depressing it would be to have accomplished all of my life goals by the time I'm 23. Impressive, yes...but it would kind of take away much of my ambition and excitement for the future.

So I decided that while it's good to have dreams and hopes for the future, I don't want my life to be all about marking things off of a list. I want to live in the moment and soak up every precious second God has given me.

There were three things left on my list that I have yet to do:
1. travel to every continent (still need to go to Africa and Australia)
2. get married and have kids (don't have much control of this one, but I'm still holding out hope!) , and
3. work in an orphanage in Africa or India.

I'd still love to do all of these things one day, but I guess that recently I've come to realize that maybe those goals aren't what I should focus on.

Maybe instead I should be living each day as if it was my last, looking for ways that I can delight in the here and now and bring joy to other people's lives. I still feel young, but I'm probably already a third of the way through my life. This world is so temporary. Even if I accomplish every goal I have in my lifetime, the reality is that no one will know or care, quite frankly.

But if I spend my time pouring into other people. Being selfless with my time and resources. Serving and loving others. Maybe, just maybe, that will make an impact on someone.

So I have a new life goal. Maybe it'll be my life mission statement for now:
Live each day as if it's my last. Treasure each moment. Laugh. Enjoy being with those I love. Do everything without complaining. See the good in every situation. Love people, regardless of whether they love me back. Show the world what God's love is all about.

Now there's a goal I don't have to worry about accomplishing by this time next year. I'm pretty sure it'll take a lifetime...but at least I'll have a goal to work toward by the time I'm 90 ;)