The Perma Life

Last week I turned 31. I am not particularly afraid of getting old- in fact, I hope to be so lucky. 31 isn’t exactly a milestone year anyway. Not like 40, or 30 or even 25 for that matter. I distinctly remember 25- I had myself a little quarter life crises that year. Don’t laugh, that really exists. It was the year I realized that, for better or worse, I was just like everyone else. I wasn’t going to find the cure for cancer or win the Olympic marathon (embarrassingly enough, both of these were things I had dreamed of accomplishing when a young child). I was normal. And after some self-reflection and a much-needed reality check, I was ok with that fact.

Most of us are pretty normal…average…part of the status quo, if you will. We go through life worried about mundane things like our bosses or our spouses or our bank accounts or our house needing to be painted. But at the very same time, we are also this “divine mingle- mangle of guts and stardust” (Frank Capra) and we all have the capacity to make the world a better place to live.

I really think that all we have to do to make the world better, safer, cleaner and healthier is the following:

1. Believe- truly believe – that we are special enough to make a positive impact in the world and that we can be a part of the solution instead of the problem

2. Don’t believe that we are so special that the laws of economics (finite resources and infinite wants) don’t apply to us.

It is my goal for my 31st year to keep these two things in mind as I go about my daily life- my divine mingle-mangle life  of guts, stardust and houses needing paint.

ps The full quote from Frank Capra is as follows: “Friend, you are a divine mingle-mangle of guts and stardust. So hang in there! If doors opened for me, they can open for anyone.”