I ran

I have just taken on a challenge - to imagine that I have only fifteen minutes to live, and to write the story that needs to be told.

Life hangs on a thread and is precious, a true gift and a blessing.

You can spend your life looking at all the things that are wrong with it and how it doesn't compare to others, or you can live it fully - wonder at the incredible luck that you are here at this moment in time.

Is it all about living a huge life and stretching yourself?

Life is whatever you want it to be.

The most important thing you can do is be aware, honest and responsible for where you are now and decide for yourself where it is you want to go. What is the journey you would most like to make?

You had also better build in a healthy dose of relationships and being of service to others.

You may not feel that as a desire right now, but I'm pretty convinced that at some point in time, that will become important to you.

What else needs to be said? I do believe that we are intricately connected and I also subscribe to that whole philosophy of what you do to others (people, animals, the planet), you do to yourself.

I came across an inspiring idea recently that is new to me although not new as a concept.

When certain tribes of native American Indians set goals, they set them seven generations ahead, which is the equivalent of about a hundred years in our money.

What difference would that make to you to set your goals beyond your time on this planet? How different would your goals look?

I'm not saying you shouldn't have your own goals, but make sure they include what you want to have, what you want to do and who you want to be. Then see how they fit in with your hundred year goals.

As has often been said, it is not the planet we are killing with our focus on short-term profit and gain. The planet will probably still be here long after we're gone. It's ourselves as a species and the other species that we share this planet with, that we destroy with our constant greed and desire for luxury and convenience.

Studies on happiness have also discovered that taking the easy way, such as using our cars instead of using our own power, reduces our levels of happiness.

The power we are looking to obtain won't fulfill us if we don't make use of the power that already exists within us, that we give up in our endless search for short cuts and convenience.

How did I use my power?

I ran.