The only thing we will have when we are old is our memories. And the only thing we will remember when we are old are the ones we loved and the ones who loved us. We won’t remember that car we bought or that raise we got. The only thing we will remember are the moments in life we shared, the hidden moments when we lay in the bottom of a boat in the reeds and rested our head and hand and heart on the breasts of a girl we loved. That’s it. Nothing else matters in this whole, wide world.
Creating memories is the only meaningful goal in life. When faced with two courses of action, two different paths before my eyes, and I have to make a decision, I ask only one question: Which path will give me the best memories? That’s it. What are the best memories I can possibly make? I do not ask which path will offer greater security, or which path will be better off financially, or which path will be approved of by family or friends. I simply ask myself: Which path will give me the best stories when I am old? This is a wonderful guiding principle in my life—the only one I ever need—basing all decisions on creating the best memories I possibly can.
I devoted my life to creating the very best memories I could possibly make—both for me and for those around me. I sacrificed material worth in order to maximize my relationships. My whole being is caught up in this exhilaration of adventure, of living in the wind. Because, why not? What’s the point of making a living if you are not living? What’s the old saying? A ship in the harbor is safe... but then what’s a ship for?
I accept all invitations, if possible. If I am invited, for instance, to a party down the street or to somewhere as far-flung as Istanbul, I am going. How? I have no idea. But that doesn’t matter. I’m going anyway. Isn’t that what I asked for? Most of us, when faced with a new invitation, tend to second-guess our intuition. We get an invitation and we reason it out, try to make sense of it.
It might seem like I am careless or mindfully drifting, unfocused and without direction. But not so! I am the most focused man I know. I know exactly what I want. I know exactly where I am going. I have no idea how I am going to get there, but I’m sure going anyway. I don’t have time to think about how. All I know is what I want
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