Writing Myself A Letter

Neil Young sings of sitting down and writing a letter,
To all the good friends that he's known,
But perhaps we each should write ourselves that letter
For shouldn't we be the best friend that we each know.

Thoughts are fleeting and too easily forgotten
They can be revised as we move forward
Without memorialization, our thoughts are without conviction
They do not hold us accountable.

The written word, however, remains and reminds
It allows us to challenge and to test ourselves
It forces us to be accountable
And in the end, it motivates us to be better.

And so, I write myself this short letter:

Let me make my life one of substance, not of substances,
One in which each day is filled with meaning and movement upward.
Let me not be diverted by the pursuit of the material
To the extent that I miss the paths to all that truly is important.

The paths of loving and connecting,
The paths of learning and sharing,
The paths of thinking and creating,
The paths that will make this world a better place for all.

Let me avoid the paths that lead only to the material
For such paths are so tempting and enticing,
Filled with games having an easy scorecard,
But it is a scorecard in what is ultimately a meaningless game.

Let me find joy in the wonders of life
In the questions that can only be asked and pondered
The questions for which there are no answers
And let me be reminded that there is joy in the pursuit.

Let me remember each day to appreciate life
Simply because I am blessed to have life
For the value of life for me is that I exist
And with that knowledge, let me cherish and respect all life

Let me remember that with each tick of the clock
Those seconds become reflections in the rear view mirror
While the seconds, the minutes and all the time that awaits in the future
Are on the horizon in a direction we must choose.

Let me count my blessings daily
Let me face challenges with strength and conviction
Let me always have my hopes and my dreams
Let me find the places where I am serene

Let me remember that while storms may rage
The sun will always shine again.
Let me remember that the rain nourishes the earth
And the sun will always shine again.