"Ce n'est pas que la vie est trop courte, c'est que nous attendons si longtemps pour commencer"

Life is often said to be short, but the real issue is how long we wait to truly start living it. This idea can be a real eye-opener if you think about it. We're all guilty of putting things off, waiting for the "right time" to do what we really want. But what if that perfect moment never comes?

When you dig into why this was said, it’s clear that it's meant to shake us out of our inertia. Maybe it was a moment of realization for someone looking back on their life with some regret about missed opportunities. Or it could have been advice from an elder to a younger person, nudging them to seize the moment and stop procrastinating.

Imagine you've always dreamed of painting, but life kept getting in the way. You had school, then work, then maybe a family. You kept thinking you’d start painting when you had more time. Suddenly, you’re 60 and wondering where the time went. That’s the essence of this quote. It’s not that life was too short; it’s that you waited too long to start the thing you loved.

So how do you apply this wisdom? Start small. Right now. Think about that one thing you’ve always wanted to do. Is it writing a book? Traveling to Japan? Learning to play the guitar? Whatever it is, take a tiny step today. Write an outline for your book. Research flights to Tokyo. Buy a beginner's guitar and start with online lessons. The key is to begin, even if it’s just a small action.

Let me tell you about my friend Sarah. She always wanted to run a marathon. But she kept putting it off, saying she’d train when work wasn’t so busy. Years went by, and she was still saying the same thing. One day, she realized she wasn’t getting any younger. So, she signed up for a local 5K. It wasn’t a marathon, but it was a start. She finished that race, then another, and another. Last year, she finally ran her first marathon. She told me it wasn’t just about the race—it was about proving to herself that she could start something and finish it. That first 5K was the turning point.

Think about your own life. What’s that one thing you’ve been putting off? Imagine how you’ll feel if you start today. You don’t have to wait for the stars to align. Life isn’t about waiting—it’s about doing.

There’s also a bit of humility in this idea. It acknowledges that we’re all prone to waiting, to hesitating. But it’s also a call to action. It’s saying, hey, life’s happening right now. Don’t let it slip by while you’re waiting for everything to be perfect.

So, grab that paintbrush, lace up those running shoes, start writing that first paragraph. It’s not about making a massive leap—it’s about taking that first step. The journey of a thousand miles, as they say, begins with a single step. Don’t wait too long to take yours.