Birthdays and Buckets of Golf Balls...

A friend of mine sent me this message early this morning. It seems especially fitting on today...another birthday. The years fly by, people and opportunities flash through your life, and each year gets more important in how you spend it. I hope this story impacts you positively as it did me...

After a two year battle with cancer, teenager Miles Levin, unfortunately lost his fight.However, during his final years, he achieved a level of self-awareness, courage and wisdom that most of us will never reach.

"Dying is not what scares me. It's dying and having no impact." Here's what Miles said just one month after being diagnosed with terminal cancer:

"I went to the driving range the other day and I was thinking...I was thinking about how you start out with a big bucket full of golf balls, and you just start hitting away carelessly. You have dozens of them, each individual ball means nothing to you so just hit, hit, hit.One ball is practically inconsequential when subtracted from your bottomless bucket. There are no practice swings or technique re-evaluations after a bad shot, because so many more tries remain.Yet eventually you start to have to reach down towards the bottom of the bucket to scavenge for another shot and you realize that tries are running out. Now with just a handful left, each swing becomes more crucial, so between each shot you take a couple practice swings and a few deep breaths. There is a very strong need to end on a good note, even if the preceding shot was terrible, getting it right at the end means a lot. You know as you tee up your last ball, "This is my final shot, I want to crush this with perfection; I must make this count".

Limited quantities or limited time brings a new, precious value and significance to anything you do. Live every day shooting as if it's your last shot. I know I have to." --Miles Alpern Levin, July 7, 2005

Like Miles suggested, we should treat each day as a precious ball of life. Take your time, take a breath and make a practice swing. Make each shot count and most of all finish strong!