Memories Should Be Unforgettable

Life by the numbers:

1,440 minutes in a day

525,600 minutes in a year

41,522,400 minutes in the average lifetime

And here is a number that will blow your mind: 2,491,344,000 seconds in your life

Billions of seconds … tens of millions of minutes … tens of thousands of days … so many opportunities to create and experience lasting memories. And on some days I can’t remember what I had for lunch.

The start of the new year has prompted me to think about all of the great things that happened in my life in 2012. There are oodles of things that make me smile – silly things my dogs did, vacations with the family, camping with Cindy, surprising my bride with a ring for our 25^th anniversary, animals we saw in the woods while riding our ATV, securing my first coaching client, my first taste of pineapple (yep, you read that right!), blue skies and warm waters in Costa Rica, learning Spanish, my Mom getting a hearing aid, and talking with my Dad – just talking. All great things that I hope I can keep securely locked away in my mind forever.

Umm, then there’s all of the other stuff that happened in 2012 that I don’t remember. I am sure there are great things that people told me or sweet things that friends or relatives did for me or incredible dinners that Cindy and I had together or amazing accomplishments that people achieved at work. And I don’t remember them. I don’t remember them at all.

See, here’s the thing. Many people get lost in the everyday so much that they forget to notice those things or people around them that are memorable, or better yet, unforgettable. They are texting or tweeting or listening to music or thinking about anything but the essence of what they are experiencing at that very moment. Their body may be present, but the mind and spirit are anything but. And the world passes them by without a trace, without so much as a glance.

Every day, regardless of your circumstances, at least one thing happens to you or because of you that is truly memorable. A smile from a stranger, a kiss from your dog, a picture-perfect sunset, a great glass of wine, something funny said by your three year old, great service at your favorite restaurant, seeing a hawk sitting on a street light or, in fact, just finding yourself on the desirable side of the grass (think about that one for a moment!). Memorable things are there – you just need to be present to remember them.

As Josh Foer said so eloquently in a landmark presentation last year, “Our lives are the sum of our memories. To live a memorable life, you have to be the type of person who remembers to remember.”

Please, for your own life’s enjoyment, remember to remember. Take time to remember. Slow down, be present, put the cell phone down and notice what is around you. Commit to finding something unforgettable in each day. I promise that you will smile at least once every day as a result.