“Life is not a dress rehearsal. You don’t get to hear, ‘Take two.'” -CH (BG) Andrew Harewood. Chaplain Harewood is the Deputy Chief of Chaplains for the Army Reserve. A few weeks ago, he shared this quote on social media during his “Monday Morning Minute” video series.
Some of our favorite stories include the character who flirts very closely with death, i.e., James Bond. When he seems to have met his mortal end, we learn there was a plan to evade the grim reaper once again, unless their Bond contract with the studio has run out. But these stories are often told with the perfect beginning, middle, and end. There isn’t room for the mundane moments of their reality. Even reading about your favorite person in history has omitted the journal entry about how they realized the scent of mildew alerted them that they failed to switch the laundry in time.
Our life can feel like a slow burn. You could hit a few rough weeks in a row and from all angles of life. Work has been a burden, and your family feels like it’s falling apart; the holidays are nearing, and your bank account seems to dwindle. Looking at everyone’s Instagram photo dump from the previous month can make your life look much darker than it is. Even when it’s most challenging, if we remember that there is no take two, we can be inspired to make the most of every moment we have.
Take a chance on yourself and make a change if that’s what you feel you need. Reach out to the hard-to-love friend or family member. Have that tough conversation. Go back to school. Sacrifice the thing that’s draining you more than helping you. And if that attempt doesn’t work, then try something else. It’s okay to make a mistake. Even your favorite Bond movie writers have scratched out and rewritten new plots to make the “perfect story.”
Don’t strain over perfection. There is no dress rehearsal. You have one take. Make it count.