Lauri’s Blog:

I’m a list maker (isn’t everybody?) and the sort of person who usually must finish my tasks before I can take it easy. The good news is that I accomplish a lot on most days; the bad news is that I don’t relax enough. Fortunately, my husband, Joe, and I work together and he knows when to stop.

Yesterday was an unusually beautiful day in New York: low humidity, bright sunshine and relative quiet because it is the end of August and a lot of people are out of town. As I was working, Joe came into my office and said, “Let’s go for a jog in Central Park and then have an early dinner, it’ll do us both good.” I knew he was right but my list was not complete and I started to decline. Then I remembered a saying I’d heard, “Everybody dies with a full in-box:” It never ends. So, instead, I listened to my smart husband and my heart and left the office early, with my list still unfinished. I made the choice to savor the day with my favorite person.

After we changed into our workout gear, Joe and I walked into Central Park and talked about how important it is to make choices that will allow us to feel as good as possible - every day - since life is short and we never know when it will end.

Joe, wise man, offered an anecdote about a gentleman who had always been afraid of flying: Although the fellow wanted to travel and experience different cultures, his phobia held him back. Finally, one day, a business trip forced him to board an airplane and he found himself sitting next to a Native American. The Native American, seeing how agitated he was, asked the man if he was all right. The fearful flier admitted that he was terrified. The Native American pointed to the window and the clear sky above and said, “What happens is out of our control, sir, but don’t be afraid. Today is not a bad day: It is a beautiful day to die.” The man looked at the sky and at his smiling seatmate and suddenly realized that his traveling companion was right. The Native American had provided him with a totally different and optimistic perspective, one that - with an adjustment - would allow him to live much more fully. And, right there, he made the decision to embrace that positive mindset.

I hope that you, too, when given the choice, will also choose what makes you happiest, today and all days. No matter how long your list.