Last week, I went to a funeral.
Not of someone particularly old.
Not of someone particularly ill.
Just someone I used to work with many years ago - gone far earlier than expected.
We weren’t best friends.
We hadn’t spoken in a while.
But we’d shared enough laughs and hours together that I felt compelled to go.
And I’m glad I did.
Because it wasn’t just a service.
It was a reality check.
As I stood there, looking at the coffin; looking down at the end of their story, I couldn’t help but remember the things they used to talk about doing.
Places they wanted to visit.
A business idea they’d sketched out but never launched.
Courses they were interested in.
Experiences they were saving for.
Dreams they’d parked.
Always waiting for something.
More money.
Less chaos.
The “right” time.
Someone to give them permission.
The perfect window.
And now?
None of it will happen.
Their “one day” never came.
Because none of us are guaranteed a “one day.”
That moment hit me harder than I expected.
We go through life assuming we’ve got time.
That there’ll be a right moment to chase what we want.
To shift direction.
To take the risk.
To finally build the life we actually want, not just the one we’ve settled into.
But there’s no timer above our heads.
There’s no red light that flashes to say, “Now’s your moment.”
There’s just today. And the choice to do something with it.
We get one shot at this.
And for all the talk of legacy, for all the “someday” plans, the real legacy is how fully you lived.
How much you squeezed out of the time you had.
How often you made the decision not to wait.
I know life is busy.
I know responsibilities are real.
I know it’s not always as easy as just booking the trip, quitting the job, launching the product, or writing the book.
But here’s what I do know:
You don’t need permission.
You need clarity.
You need action.
And you need to stop pretending there will be a better time.
If you want something, and I mean really want it - make it your job to go get it.
Build the plan.
Figure out the money.
Map out the time.
Make it non-negotiable.
Because one day, your story will close too.
And the only question that will matter is this:
Did you use the time you had?
Don’t wait for someone else to tell you it’s your turn.
It’s your life.
Take the lead.
Now’s the time.
James