Eat the Dessert First : A Sweet Guide for a Happy Life

“Life is uncertain: eat dessert first”, is a famous quote by Ernestine Ulmer, a little-known but much-quoted writer.

Life is a free lottery, but there never has been any winners. And you don’t know when your number is going to come up either. Yet, most people live their life with the ‘Pause’ button permanently on, waiting for the right moment to start living.

They are waiting for their retirement, or when they win the lottery, or when the children grow up and leave the nest or simply looking for a millionaire to marry before they really start to live.

However, most people don’t get the chance to really live their life they want, before they die. Nearly 50% of us will not reach retirement age, and even if you do, a good few of us will die shortly after from retirement shock. Why take a chance and miss out on ‘dessert’ - start living today.

Life’s Armchair Enthusiasts :

Are you one of life’s armchair enthusiasts, sitting there watching life going past in front of your eyes? Life is not a spectator sport. You are a participant, and it’s up to you to get the best out of it before you reach the finishing line. However, the human race doesn’t have a defined finishing line. We all have staggered starts, and our own personal race to run over an undefined distance. We are so focused on the finishing line, that we don’t really have time to enjoy the race and the scenery along the way. And at anytime, we can be black flagged, and never get close to finishing.

Is there a Death Clock? :

Nobody knows when it’s time. You can put your details into the Death Clock on the internet, but unless God actually runs the site, this too is only an educated guess. The sobering truth is you, yes you, are only one heartbeat away from death. The next beat could be your last. So, what are you waiting for? Why have you got your life on hold? Release that ‘Pause’ button, and live a little. In fact live a lot. You have nothing to loose. Fast forward to your death bed. Most people in this position admit they are full of regrets at this moment. Not regrets of things that they have done, but regrets of the things they didn’t do in their lives. They missed the dessert.

Do Not Miss Your Dessert :

Don’t miss out on dessert. Nobody said that you had to wait until the last course for dessert. Order it now. In fact, order seconds too. Enjoy it now. Retirement will have to wait for you, play more than your children, you have already won the lottery, and become a millionaire, instead of trying to find one to marry.

The Real ‘Bucket List’ :

Make a list today of all things you want to do in your life. Okay, call it a bucket list if you must. Now, really go out and do these things before it’s too late, and somebody turns the big light off. People who have had a near death experience are perhaps the luckiest people in the world, as they have already had a warning that at any moment it can be ‘Game Over’. These people now live their lives to the max. They are so grateful for every second of every minute of every day, and you should be the same.

Life’s Dessert : Order Now

Your personal dessert is very unique, and only you can order it. And only you can eat it. Yet, most people are waiting for the right moment to enjoy life’s desserts. “The day I retire I will do xxxxx” (fill in the blank), “when my kids fly the nest I will xxxxx (fill in the blank)”. Life is not a waiting room. Life is meant for living. We have lost our way somewhere down the generations, and we are so serious. We are sold a life map at birth, and we all religiously stick to it. But, this map is the wrong map. You need to find your own map in your heart and follow it, where ever it takes you.

The Final Countdown :

Well, time is ticking away on your death clock. What are you waiting for? Just do it, and do it soon. Stop marking off the calendar to your retirement. If you are one of the lucky ones, and actually reach retirement, and finally award yourself with your ‘desserts’, you maybe too old or infirm to enjoy them.

Going on a world cruise with a walker or wheelchair is no fun at all, walking the Great Wall of China with angina is real pain, the seven wonders of the world leaves you totally breathless - literally. 18 holes, become nine on your favourite golf course because you are too old and get tired to quickly to play a full round.

Go and enjoy these things while you can still enjoy them. Then, when the time comes for you to face the final curtain, you can graciously take a bow, and go out with a huge smile of satisfaction on your face.

Life Dos & Don’ts

Do live life now - retire later when you have had your desserts

Do make a Dessert Menu or ‘Bucket List’

Do tick off at least half of that list

Do what your heart tells you - its always right

Don’t live in your armchair - press ‘Play’ not the ‘Pause’ button

Don’t wait until you retire - the statistics and gravity are against you

Don’t listen to other people (apart from your doctor)

Don’t live a life of mediocrity - a grey life is not worth living

Don’t wait until the kids grow up - play now

© David Lloyd-Jones 2010

Now leave a comment below, and tell the world what your life's dessert is….