would you sell?

I just finished reading one of the best talks I've seen in awhile (which could be do the the fact I find it the most pertinent at this time in my life).

The talk is titled "Would You Sell" and was delivered by Carlos E. Asay in March 1984. I'm amazed how a talk I was born only months before seems to have been written just for ME. True principles never really die, so I guess it shouldn't be surprising.

His remarks were based on a question he was asked at the age of 18. Would you sell the the next 10 years of your life for $100,000? (Although to keep up with inflation I suppose the price point should be changed to $1,000,000)

It's impossible to actually package up the years of your life and sell them, however, it is possible for each of us to "squander the prospects of the immediate future. Just as Esau despised his birthright and sold it for a “morsel of meat,” so may each of us through neglect and myopic living forfeit all that the decade ahead has to offer."

I had no idea what "myopic" meant either-- apparently it means "lacking foresight."

18-28. Those are the years that have the greatest impact on the years that follow.

I'm 25. Gonna be 26 here in January. At that point in time I have the length of a standard LDS mission till this formative decade has been completed. The first thought that came to my mind while reading this was-- what have you done with the past 8 years?

Part of me feels confident when I look back on the past 8 years :

served a mission that I feel proud of and look back at with pride and happiness

developed countless friendships, many of which are still growing

earned a degree in a field I enjoy

developed talents I never imagined possible

taken trips and had experiences for which I am eternally grateful for

Part of me feels like I have not used the past 8 years to their fullest :

developed poor dating habits

since returning form the mission have let much of that spiritual fire fade away

still no full time profession

But this is the past. It can't be redone. So the real question is: How can I make the most of these next few years so that the I can have the solid foundation needed for the rest of my life?

Many of my friends (myself included for a long time) approach life with the attitude that each day should be lived to the fullest. I wholly agree with this-- but I think there needs to be one slight caveat to this mindset. Live each day to the fullest, but not without a vision of the future!

With a desire to make the most of the present while preparing for the future I feel like I can make these next few years exactly what they need to be, so that I can avoid those "sad words of tongue or pen . . . it might have been."

the first pic was before prom when i was 18.

the second was one of the most recent pics of me out in CA.