What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? I’ve heard a lot over the years—some I asked for, some I didn’t. Some made me nod in appreciation, others left me scratching my head. But one piece of advice stands out above all the rest.

I was working in home health, caring for patients in the comfort of their homes. One of my patients was a man battling cancer. He was very weak and required IV fluid hydration, so his doctor ordered in-home infusions because he couldn’t even make it to the clinic.

As he sat receiving treatment, I noticed family vacation photos on the wall. I asked his wife if they had traveled much. “Oh yes,” she replied, her eyes lighting up. “I’m so glad we took trips while our kids were young. If we had waited until retirement, we would’ve missed it all—this is our retirement now. My husband is too sick to even go to the doctor. You have to come to him.”

Her words stopped me in my tracks.

My husband and I were always saying, “when we retire…” But what if we never make it to retirement? Or worse, what if we do—but are too ill or frail to enjoy it? I know so many people who lost a loved one shortly after they retired. None of us are promised tomorrow, and yet we put so much of life on hold, waiting for a future that may never come.

That conversation changed me. It didn’t change my husband—he’s still guilty of saying, “when I retire!”—but I couldn’t ignore what I had learned. I decided then and there: I want to live now. I want to hike, explore, backpack, camp, and see as much of this world as I can. I work hard so I can take time off and enjoy life—not just endure it. I want to truly live in that precious dash between my birth date and my death date.

Sometimes, it takes witnessing someone else’s hardship to shake us into making a change.

Shortly after that moment, I got the push I needed. It was 2015, and a coworker mentioned she was doing fifteen 5Ks for the year. I loved the idea—but I don’t run, and signing up for that many walks felt expensive (plus, the year was halfway over). So I waited and thought about setting a challenge for 2016.

On January 1, I joined a “First Day Hike” at a state park—a guided hike through areas normally closed to the public. We heard the park’s history, warmed up by a fire pit, wrote down things we wanted to let go of, and tossed them into the flames. With hot cocoa and s’mores in hand, I knew: this was my goal. Sixteen hikes in 2016. That challenge inspired me to explore national and state parks across the country while doing something good for my body and soul. I ended up hiking far more than sixteen times—and I was hooked.

So in 2017, I took it up a notch: seventeen new things I’d never done before.

At age 49, I ziplined for the first time. I took a surfing lesson - and yes, I actually stood up on the board!

and I walked across a causeway bridge despite my fear of heights (I won’t lie—the moving water below made me dizzy!)

I also took my love for hiking to a new level: backpacking. My goal? Section hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. On my first trip, my niece joined me, and we met an amazing group of women from a hiking club. I became a member and have been section hiking the AT with some of them ever since. Now, I’m on a mission to complete the whole trail before I turn sixty—and I’m still going strong!

I will always be grateful for that couple—especially the wife’s candid wisdom. Her words shaped how I’ve lived the past ten years. I’ve made memories, set goals, pushed boundaries, and found joy in places I might have otherwise overlooked.

So here’s my advice to you: don’t wait. Don’t wait for retirement. Don’t wait for the perfect time. Make goals, take the trip, try the thing, start the journey. You are never too old, and it is never too late. Be grateful every day you’re on the wake-up list—and make that day count.

Life is far too short to spend it waiting.

~ Lane

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