Amazing Things Will Happen: A Real-World Guide on Achieving Success and Happiness

Chapter 17

Life Is Too Short for Bad Wine

The concept of collecting wine is something that I’ve never fully understood. Isn’t drinking wine more fun than looking at a dusty bottle on a shelf?

Right now, I have many bottles of wine in our basement. When my wife and I took a vacation to Napa Valley, we ended up shipping home several cases of our favorite new discoveries. Ever since that vacation, we’ve had a surplus since we tend to only drink it when we have friends or family over. We want to enjoy it, but bought more than we can drink on our own.

Ric Elias, a passenger on Flight 1549 when it crash-landed in the Hudson River, gave an inspiring TED talk called “3 Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed.” He talks about how he wants to collect only bad wine, because he wants to make sure that any time he is with friends, he is drinking the good stuff. He wants to make sure that he has nothing but great times and experiences with every person in his life. His take on living is inspiring, and he certainly has a reason to share it.

Call it carpe diem, call it making the most of your time on earth, but the truth is that no one knows how long he or she is going to live or when his or her last day is going to arrive. It is a sad thought, but it is the truth, and we can’t yet escape it.

Any day you are not sick and are above ground is a good day. It is a simple reminder, but one that bears repeating. Keep it in mind on those mornings when you wake up and don’t want to get out of bed.

Knowing ...