Yesterday I got into a car accident. The first one I’ve ever had. And honestly, it shook me more than I expected.
Thankfully, I’m completely fine. The car just needs a little love and attention. But for about 24 hours, my nervous system reminded me how quickly life can change. And it got me re-thinking about intentional living.
Not the Instagram version. The real kind. The kind that quietly asks: “Am I actually living my life, or just managing it?
I recently listened to a powerful conversation with Jodi Wellman, founder of 4,000 Mondays. Her premise is simple and startling.
If we are lucky, we get about 4,000 Mondays in a lifetime. That is approximately 76 years.
I don’t believe most people are truly afraid of dying. I think they’re afraid of getting to the end of their lives and realizing they never fully lived. That they postponed joy, postponed rest, postponed courage, postponed relationships. postponed the dream. waiting for “when things calm down”, when I feel ready”, someday.” And I felt this viscerally during our recent trip to Kenya, where I found myself prioritizing the things that mattered most to me — family, presence, connection, joy, faith, meaningful conversations, simple moments.
Not someday. Now. Because someday is sneaky. It disguises itself as responsibility. and practicality and busyness. And then one day you look up and years have passed.
Living with cancer has sharpened this truth for me. It has made me ask harder questions: What actually matters? Who do I want to spend time with? What deserves my energy? What memories am I creating? What conversations am I avoiding? What dreams am I still delaying?
Intentional living is not about living recklessly. It is not about constant happiness or chasing bucket-list moments. It is about choosing to be awake to your life while you are living it.
Sometimes intentional living looks dramatic: Changing careers. Starting the business. Taking the trip. Leaving the unhealthy situation.
But often it looks much quieter:
Calling the friend. Taking the walk. Putting down the phone. Praying with presence. Laughing with your grandchildren. Starting before you feel ready. Saying “I love you” more often. Being fully where your feet are. Small choices. Repeated consistently. That slowly create a life with fewer regrets.
And I also know this: Not everyone has the same choices, resources, energy, health, freedom, or season of life.
Some people right now are simply trying to survive. To care for aging parents. To heal. To pay bills. To navigate grief, illness, exhaustion, uncertainty, or responsibilities that feel overwhelming.
Intentional living is not about pretending those realities do not exist. Sometimes it is simply refusing to abandon yourself within the life you currently have.
Because none of us know how many Mondays we have left. But we do get to decide whether we will fully show up for the ones we still have.
