Make each day count

Jane Fonda has it right. When she was asked in a Today show interview this week about the fact that she cries more easily these days and whether that meant she was sad to be the age she is, she made it very clear that she likes the age she is. She said she cries because things move her, and she cries because she's happy, too. She was asked if she thinks a lot about her mortality. Yes, she said, but that isn't depressing. Rather, it makes her think more about how she wants to spend her time. It keeps her awake and aware. It keeps her present to the people and experiences around her, she said.

Yes, oh, yes! I totally agree. I'm extremely aware that I have more years behind me than I have ahead of me. I'm not sad about that. Like Fonda, I want to be proactive about the choices I make in how I spend whatever years remain. I want to spend time with people I love. I want to make my life count. I want to be aware of things around me and inside me. I want to live a life of joy and serenity.

As much as is possible, I want to focus on the positives in my life and in the world. That can be a challenge at times, no doubt about it. But it's so worth doing. I'm happier when I do, and everyone around me is happier then, too. It's all about attitude.

Make every day count. Live your life with passion—and do those things that are important for you. Don't let the passing of years make you sad. And don't be caught sleepwalking through life. Rather, do as the saying goes: "Dance as though no one is watching you. Sing as though no one is listening."