A Lesson In Living A Life Without Limits
LIFE STORIES
Image by Pexels on Pixabay
It was Archie’s birthday and he was feeling supercharged. Friends and family had come from all over the country to celebrate his 21st birthday.
Later that evening guests stood around the barbeque in the garden and reminisced about years gone by. Archie had had one too many drinks and needed to relieve himself. As he staggered to the toilet he missed a step and almost fell.
The toilet on the ground floor was busy so he wobbled up the stairs to the bathroom on the first floor. The beer bottle in his right hand seemed to be the only thing helping him to keep his balance.
The bathroom was also busy. While waiting for the occupant to come out, Archie noticed a blue and red garment hanging over the bannister. He recognised it immediately. It was his superman cape; the one his mum had bought to humour him on his 18th birthday. He reached for it and wrapped it around his broad shoulders. He looked like superman, he felt like superman.
The bathroom door opened but, before he could move, another guest went in. A few people had come up and formed a short queue.
Archie was annoyed. This was not acceptable. He needed the bathroom and he needed it NOW! Feeling a bit tipsy he approached the guest nearest to him.
“Hold my drink man, hold my drink,” he slurred.
His older brother heard the commotion from downstairs. Fearing a punch up was about to ensue he bounded up the stairs, two steps at a time. He was about half way up when he felt as if the ceiling had collapsed on him. He fell headlong onto the ground floor. A few seconds later something heavy and soft fell on top of him.
A crashing sound followed as shards of the hallway mirror scattered everywhere.
“Archie!” Someone screamed.
“Oh my God, what happened?”
“Archie jumped.”
“Why?”
“He thought he was superman.”
“I’m guessing he was trying to get to the toilet in the quickest way possible.”
The two bodies at the bottom of the stairs lay completely still.
“Oh no they’re dead!”
“Someone call an ambulance.”
. . .
The above is based on a true story. Names have been changed to protect the identity of the innocent. I was reminded of it when I read an article where the writer said, “The level of over confidence in people these days is scary.”
He wasn’t talking of the likes of Archie who jump off staircases believing they are superman. No. He was referring to the ones who put off living their life purpose until it’s too late. It sounds silly when you put it like that – right?
By the way Archie and his brother miraculously survived their fall with no injuries.
Surprisingly, though, approximately 95% of the earth’s inhabitants are not living their life purpose or as the best version of themselves. At least 50% of those individuals have the power to do something about it, yet they purposely choose not to.
In his life-changing book, “Miracle Morning,” Hal Elrod says this, “… the average person takes life one day at a time, and has no higher purpose beyond merely surviving. Most people just focus on getting through the day, taking the path of least resistance, and pursuing short-term, short-lived pleasures along the way, while avoiding any pain or discomfort that might cause them to grow.”
The sad thing is that one day they wake up and realise that they have wasted their lives. The ones who wake up are the fortunate ones because some never get to see the light of another day.
Imagine how different eveything would be if you pursued your goals relentlessly with passion? Imagine how empowered you would feel if you saw the hero in you and not the labels people have stuck on you?
Are you living a life as the best version of yourself, a life without limits or just taking life as it comes?
What do you plan to do or change in order to leave planet earth having made a meaningful contribution?
Originally published at medium.com/vital-world-online on May 21, 2020