Monday Morning MOJO 8/13/07

Good Morning MOJO,

It has been a year almost to the day since my cousin Amy passed away from breast cancer at the age of 41. Here is a MOJO I wrote a year ago flying home from her funeral. Thought it was worth sharing again…

I got home on Saturday night from one of the most emotionally draining experiences of my life. I attended and did a reading at the funeral of my 41 year old cousin, Amy. She was beautiful and healthy…living the American dream in Salt Lake City…married to a great guy, raising her 2 beautiful daughters (12 and 14) when it all happened 16 months ago. In the words of her daughter: “It was a clear blue spring day…Well, at least outside…Inside it was raining…The feeling of sadness and disbelief…All this just from some bad news…Not just regular bad news…But the kind where your life can fall Apart in just two simple minutes…Watching her whisper, “it’s cancer.” Shock…Anger…Fear. …Hearing the light sob, “Just never lose faith”…Nobody knows what it’s like…Until it happens to them…and with a mom you see things differently…You look at the mountains and see Pure beauty. …and seeing her smile…That’s everything to me…I appreciate life so much…Looking at the stars and hearing her say, “I love you more than all of the stars in the Sky”…Just looking back at how it used to be and how it could have been…How it’s going to be without her by my side…It will never be the same.”

Those words clawed their way into my brain, it felt as though someone had walked up and ripped the blinders from my eyes and forced me, again, to take a cold, hard look at the ultimate truth none of us really wants to know or admit...

...the truth that, strangely, has the power to wake us up and make us live before it's too late.

"Amy is gone," the truth told me quietly, "and you will, too, and so will all the people you love and everyone else...it's just a matter of time. So tell me, given that...are you doing what you want to do right now with your life? Or are you putting off living your hopes and dreams because you think there'll always be tomorrow? If my cousin were here she’d tell you different... she'd say there'll come a time when tomorrow doesn't show up, and you're wasting your time if you're not loving and laughing and enjoying your days now, while you can."

And that leaves you with a choice.

You can punch the "delete" key and dump this message because you find the whole "death" thing "too depressing"...

...or you can let it be the force that finally pushes you over the line and into the life you want. Because that's what it takes for most of us...something so strong it carries us past our fears and doubts and the terrors that come when we think about finally doing the things we've been dreaming about for soooo long.

Yea, I know it's scary to think about dying, especially given the nonsense we've been brainwashed into believing about where we might end up.

But you know, I think it's even more scary for most people to think about living......and getting out of their old box, the one they really don't like, and getting on with living the life they really want.

But that doesn't have to be you.

Think about Amy this morning, and know this about her...she had a great life, doing the things she loved…with the people she loved...and she'd want you to do the same.

I know...you can't, it's "just not possible!", I just don't understand, you've got obligations, responsibilities, the economy's in the crapper, and "My God man, I can't just DO what I want! I've got a job, bills, yada yada yada..."

Tell that to the engineer when the time comes...because we're all on a train outta here. Could be tonight, or the in the afternoon a week from Tuesday or three years from now.

I don't know...all I know is the days are passing fast...and now is the time to do what you know you need to do.

Don't put if off. Or you may just be too late.

We will miss you Amy!!!!!

Make it a GREAT week!!!!!

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek."

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder
Regional President
Direct: 408.342.3001
Fax: 408.904.7762
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com