As this is the last post for this series, I thought I would reserve it for a general discussion of what it takes to live an extraordinary life.  The word itself has several definitions, the first being “beyond what is ordinary or usual”.  But as I dug a bit deeper, I came to the perfect nugget of gold…another aha moment – Webster’s use of the word “nonrecurring”. 

The simple fact is-nothing is ever the same.  We are not robots or machines.  Every moment-every day offers us new possibilities, new sorrows or joys, and a palate of colors and richness we only need to choose from.  When we wake each day we have a choice to live automatically or intentionally/mindfully.  We can choose to experience each moment with the curiosity and excitement of a child, or what Buddhism refers to as “beginners mind”, or we can approach our day as if it were just another day. 

Approaching our lives and days as if it were just another day, or a “work” day, or a “weekend” day plants a psychological seed of “recurring” days. When we choose another way, when we ask; how can I be more present and aware? How might I see this day differently?  How can I approach what feels like a routine with a beginners mind?  Then we have the possibility, as I discussed in Story 4, of infusing the minutes, hours and days with passion, excitement, learning and curiosity.  In this way there are no “ordinary” moments because we live a non-recurring experience and a realized extraordinary life.