I’m in a strange mood. I hope you’ll forgive me.

I’ve been contemplating things unsaid. Deeds undone. Symphonies unfinished.

The reality of mortality has shown up as a hole in the light, a silhouette on the horizon. And its whispering voice has led me to compile a list of unfiltered thoughts that seem to me, remarkable. Thoughts that should not be lost.

Perhaps I overreact. I get this way when I’ve been traveling too much, speaking too much, alone too little.

I think of all the things I’ve learned that deserve to be remembered. These are the first five that pop into my misty mind as I sit on this airplane in the sky.

Don’t follow your passion. Let your passion follow you.

Passion does not produce commitment.

Commitment produces passion.

Passion does not lead to success.

Commitment leads to success.

Recreation is not a vocation.

Rest, Shabbat, is necessary. So set aside your labor – often – and inhale the stuff of life. But recreation is not your goal; it is your fuel. The perpetual pursuit of pleasure leaves a person hollow inside. A life filled with money and no work is a fantasy for fools. Do you see the boredom that hides behind the smiles of the idle rich? Look beneath that boredom and you will see the walking dead.

Everyone needs the same three things: Identity, Purpose, and Adventure.

1. Identity: Who am I? Where is my tribe? Who are my people? Abraham Maslow said the greatest unmet need of 65% of us was our need to belong. I’ve never doubted it for a moment.
2. Purpose: What should I do with the rest of my life? What should I stand for? What should I stand against? How can I make a difference, leave a mark, be remembered?
3. Adventure: How will I overcome the obstacles that will stand in my way, the challenges that will confront me, the enemies that will make themselves known?

When it’s time to make something from nothing, you must first decide:

1. How to End: begin with the end in mind.
2. Where to begin: approach from an unusual angle.
3. What to leave out: shorter hits harder.

And the most important thing to remember is this:

Marry your best friend. Your mate will be your partner in every aspect of your life. Don’t marry beauty. Don’t marry wealth. Marry the person who will guard your back in the darkness when dragons are about and things get tricky wicked.

Marry your best friend.

Roy H. Williams