Takeaway from Tim McGraw... Another Life Lesson

Stayed up past my bedtime last night finishing up with the ageless Tim McGraw after midnight.

Last song of course was "Live Like You Were Dying"...

One of those songs that pulls at life's heart strings and makes you reflect on your own past, present and future lifestyle choices.

The kind of song that we'll still be singing 20 years from now....

Was a great ending to a day where I met a new friend on the lawn overlooking the Austin360 amphitheater....

This was an attractive lady approaching 50 with 2 boys - 15 and 11 - who was dealing with the final stages of a divorce.

As in most of these situations, you only get one side of the story but let's just go with the assumptions and likelihood that everything is as it seems.

And as it seems is your typical fucked up scenario that breaks up a family and affects the lives of the innocent and the guilty for years and lifetimes.

The details are always different but the theme remains the same...

People get married and have kids and have expectations for Life, Love, Family and Happiness...

And somewhere along the way there is an erosion of beaches... a shifting of sands... a slow draining of the Family pool that brings about a Crisis or Critical Event...

Middle aged guy loses interest in his family and runs off with the next big thing in Youth or Fitness or Plastic Surgery....

Same Song Different Verse.

So as the day turned and the concerts burned, I listened and learned and thought about this Tragedy of Family and Life Choices...

How do you deal with this?

How do you pick up the pieces of your Life and make the most of the situation?

How do you move on?

First off, realize that you probably didn't get here overnight. And it will likely take time to resolve and recover. Give yourself that time.

While you are dealing with the fallout of relational, financial and career stresses generated from a divorce, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

This is always the most important element in Life...

No matter how good or bad things are.

Despite the pressures and stresses exerted on you by a Life Crisis, you have to set aside time to Eat Right, Exercise, Sleep and distract yourself from the negatives facing you on a daily basis.

Third, seek Counsel and Help from people NOT directly involved in the situation. In the case of a Divorce involving children, seek the counsel and engagement of a good Family Lawyer. If you've already been screwed during the marriage, the last thing you wanna do is end up on the short end of the stick in the divorce.

Fourth, accept that this situation involves CHANGE...

With you or without you, things are gonna change.

The best thing you can do is get ahead of the transition and Make the Changes rather than be a victim of them.

Embrace the idea that your new situation and environment can and will offer new opportunities to change, grow and better your life.

It will be New, Different and Challenging, but this is Your Life, Your Future, Your Happiness....

Seize the Opportunity to...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9TShlMkQnc