A good man died today.

He was ready. He lived a good life, had few regrets, and was at peace.

What a way to go. We should all be so lucky.

I learned a lot from my best friend’s father over the last month. His mind was sharp until the end, and I am grateful for the time I was able to spend with him and get to know him. And I’m glad I got to tell him so just yesterday.

This week is filled with reminders that life is short. Too short... at least too short not to live it.

Yet, I feel I have stagnated. I need to stop it. Why do I stall? Does it matter why I stall? I just need to stop stalling. Stop overthinking about everything.

I still have this tendency NOT to dive right in. Like a lawyer, I have to know what to expect from all angles before I move forward... only to be surprised by the unexpected.

The unexpected takes me off guard and out of flow. I get frustrated, freak out, and freeze. And nothing happens.

We don’t really fail as long as we keep moving. We only truly fail when we let our failures paralyze us, rather than learning from the mistake, and realizing it’s no big deal.

It’s time to stop stopping. It’s okay to pause, but stop taking a prolonged break from action. Stop letting the depression set in. Stop spiraling downward.

Stop being stagnant.

Stop being overwhelmed by the stench of failure, and hold your nose and jump right back in.

Stop letting life pass you by.