For a few weeks now, I’ve been thinking a lot about some simple questions.
What does it mean to waste your life?
And if you discover you really are wasting your life, what do you do about it?
I’ve known that I wanted to talk about this for awhile — ever since I saw an odd exhortation on a church sign near my house. It said, “Please don’t waste your life.” I didn’t disagree with the sentiments of the sign — although I’m unclear what their context was — but I started thinking about how few people even realize their lives are wasted until it’s too late.
That led me to thinking about my own life — and how my thoughts about a life worth living have changed over the years. But I wasn’t really ready to talk about it until I passed a house near my office Monday afternoon and saw a front yard with two two adult-size chairs and one child-size chair.
Then I knew how I wanted to conclude this. Maybe it won’t apply to you, but it feels true for me.
Tap or click below to listen. And please forgive the train in the distance at the end. I’m not really worrying about avoiding such sounds anymore. Keep Reading

Life as misunderstood stranger feels like walking through a fog
Why do we paint ourselves into joyless corners with no way out?
Life choices: What’s important enough to spend your life doing?
Cop’s murder has me pondering why humans kill those they love
My political lens makes me think you’re crazy — and vice versa
Romantic love is part obsession, part reality — and part madness
My bad teen poetry suggests I’ve always hungered for missing love
As you grow, learn to let go of things that no longer serve you
Why does it feel so strange to lose homes we haven’t seen for years?