I want to start off this post by thanking you guys. I want to thank you guys for reading, but thank you guys for responding back as well. I love hearing your own stories and your own thoughts and opinions. Without fail, you say something that makes me stop and think, consider another point of view.
Mike Sellers, if you are out there, I want to thank you for offering your perspective on the topic of time. Back in the post “The Pressing vs The Paramount,” you wrote something that had a profound impact on me. You said…
“As someone who turned 50 years old last week, I’d like to share some advice it took me 49 years to learn:
Paramount is important- but so is sitting down and eating a whole box of Oreos while watching Jimmy Fallon in your PJs. Do you know what I mean?”
While some of my Paleo diet friends may not support the whole box of Oreos part 
, I know exactly what you are saying, and this really got me thinking.
In the previous post I mentioned above, I outlined two types of tasks:
- The Pressing – the items that feel like they need to be done now (but often can wait).
- The Paramount – the big, important things in life that we should really be working on.
Then I talked about how we should try and make the Paramount into the Pressing so we actually work on the stuff that will change our lives.
And Mike has pointed out there is actually a third type of activity… perhaps the most important of all.
3) The Precious – the moments in our life when we are truly content.
These are the times in our lives that truly take our breath away. These are the moments we remember forever, because we are truly and utterly happy.
I can think of one that happened for me just recently– holding my newborn niece Kinleigh. It was magical, it was organic, and I wanted to remember that feeling forever. When she looked up at me for the first time and smiled with her big dimples, something changed in me forever.
Sometimes finally fulfilling those Paramount goals will lead to the Precious, but I truly believe that often you can’t plan these moments. They happen, and only when you are in it, or directly after, do you realize just how Precious it was.
I mentioned how climbing Kilimanjaro was this Paramount goal of mine. I had no idea what it would feel like to stand on top of the highest point in Africa. This was a goal I always dreamed of and spent months and months planning, training, and preparing for. I had convinced myself, that the moment on the summit would be transformative, life-altering, the most Precious.
The funny thing is, while the summit was cool, it didn’t compare to the truly Precious moments. Those moments I will forever be grateful for, and they were the moments I never anticipated. They were the dinners in the meal-tent telling jokes with the team. They were watching one of our team members, Sandra Ambotaite battle back from her cold and keep going. They were listening to our Marine Chris Hadsall read an inspiring letter from a soldier we met on the trail. They were hearing the cheers and songs from our incredible porters when we arrived into camp. They were placing the ashes of our fallen soldier Cory Johnson around my neck for the first time.
These were the moments that I will always remember.
In our quest for productivity, success, and self-improvement, sometimes we just have to slow down and enjoy the Precious moments we have with ourselves and with those closest to us. When we turn reading a bedtime story to your child into a game of efficiency, we have missed the point.
Please do the things you need to do. Change the world. Accomplish those huge dreams.
But I urge you, take stock and recognize the truly Precious things in your life. Slow those moments down. Enjoy every last second of them.
After all, we will never know just how many more Precious moments we have left.
- Kyle
{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Kyle,
This is so true and another important one is taking the time out of our daily live to Nourish and strengthen our spirit which will give us the fuel that we need to keep moving forward every day as we continue on our Journey through mortality
Kyle;
Your post reminded me of a dear friends blog who writes frequently about the Slow Movement. A sample of her work can be found here:
http://livethecharmedlife.com/2011/01/100-ways-to-savour-the-moment/
Look forward to having you back on a future podcast!
Rob
Good to hear from you Rob! I’ll check her post out.
I find that I am much happier focusing on the precious moments. We have 6 grandchildren. Each with their own piece of the precious pie.Someone by the name of Alvin Price said ” Parents,Grandparents, Uncles and Aunts need to fill a child’s bucket of self – esteem so high that the rest of the world can’t poke enough holes to drain it dry “. All of us have the responsibility to not just capture the precious moments for ourselves but to teach our children that precious moments are all around us. It’s time to play pick up and fill the bucket. When we recognize our responsibility we become less stressed,happy and joyful. After all our relationships with each other are our WHY signature. WHYKNOT sign it with a positive uplifting ,joyful attitude. Your niece is very fortunate to have such a great family. She is beautiful ! Enjoy every precious moment you can.
I love that saying Frank! I’ll have to remember that with Kinleigh growing up.
Truly inspirational. Brought tears to my eyes.
i feel the same way somehow . i hope i get to get really precous moments in my later life.
You have really inspired me a lot. I just want to say thank you.
It was truly inspiring. I liked it.
Your story is so inspiring to alot of people.Iliked it alot.Did it hurt when u climbed the moutain.
Hey Kyle, I just wanted to say your story has inspired me and millions around the world. Seeing you do the things you do without arms or legs has told me that there is really nothing thats impossible!
Hey Kyle i just wanted to say that you inspire me.Its cool how you climb moutain Killiminjaro.Its sooooo cool to here your story it really inspired me.
hello kyle maynard my class was learning about youand how hard it was for you to did what you did youve inspired a lot of people:)
You are very inspirational! And I love your blog & stories.
Dear Kyle,
you are really inspiring for everyone in the world.
You inspire everyone to keep going and never quit.
Thank you for the inspiration.
i really enjoy reading your stories and its so cool how you climbed mount. kilamanjaro. stay strong (:
-Alivia
oh Kile,
i can not imagine what you had to go through
you not only climed a mountain
you climed a mental mountain,you pulled through the hard,jagged parts in your life,
and i just have a few words that come to mind,
Amazing
Powerfull
Strong,
these things make a good-wait not good….Great-a great Hero
Keep on climbing ~ Alkazaih
i really appreciate what you do you really inspired me .now i beleive that i can finish
middle school ,high school ,and college and become a vet
ive just gotta say good job fighting for your life and amusing and inspiring for us and good luck with your daughter and wife and visit your parents to thank them that they gave you a life to live and understand many things about life but most of all make goal in your last breath.
Kyle,
I want to thank you for the message I recieved through the golden key membership. I need that motivation to “not but into other people’s doubts.” It is so easy to do. I work with a large pool of highly esteemed and qualified individuals. Phd’s, Maters Degrees, Psychologists who play with the Philharmonic, etc.; and here I don’t even have my Bachelors yet. I have to keep in mind that my work here is valuable and that I am an asset; I am good at what I do. But my work does not define my entire being. I am full time mom who also works full time and goes to school full time. Being able to juggle work and school, as well as fulfilling my responsiblities as a wife and a mother, is an accomplishment in itself and I should take pride in that.
Stopping to remember the precious things, like when I look into my son’s face and watch him as he accomplishes more developmental milestones, is what really matters and brings my whole journey full-circle. Thanks for the reminder. What an inspiration you are!
Very respectfully,
Dani Smith
Ashford University
Well said Kyle. As a new father of a 19 month old son – It hit home.
Keep pushing it up!
Waldo
Hi Kyle,
Your unbelievable achievement has had infinite and positive impact on my confidence and motivation. I really love to read your stories. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me.
Dear Hyle
Nice to meet you/read you!
I just knew about you from a Spanish TV show you appeared on. It was during Pablo Motos’ “El Hormiguero”.
I decided to surf the Internet to know more about you and here you are!! bringing hope, inspiring us and teaching us “lo que de verdad importa”;)))
Congrats and keep on pushing it up!!!
Ahora sé que todo es posible!!
Gracias Kyle!
P.S. You have a beautiful niece! I am sure that even being only a baby she is so proud about you! this is the reason she looks at you that way;)
Tú vales mucho baby!;)
Rocío
Kyle Maynard.On 1st october 2012 in fc barcelona at la masia, thanks that you gave a nice advice to my son and the courage for him to move forward, thank you so much we all love you.
She is so cute!(your baby!) What is her name!ADORABLE!
I think that you are a great person.You are cool .You also make me want to keep trying to reach my goal.
i was very facinated by your story, i think its awesome how you can do everyday life and be like everyone else and i cant believe it that you climbed mountain kiliminjaro! you are awesome!!
sincerely,
lewlew:) <3
Dear kyle i think you a great pearson.I cant belive you climed that moutain.Have a good life with you daughter.
I’m only 13 and this is really inspiring to me. I have a big life ahead, and who knows where it will take me. You taught me never to give up. Thank you.
This has got to be the most inspiring entry I have ever read. I never really realized how many precious moments I have actually had, how many moments I have taken for granted until I read this. I now realize how grateful I should be that I have had such great times, instead of only thinking about the bad things in life. I just want to thank you for giving me a new perspective of life, and what I can do to make mine mean something to me. I used to not really care about hardly anything, but you have given me the courage to change my attitude towards things. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Kyle,
I think you’re the best person to have as a role model.
Your friend, Carpenter.
kyle, your baby is so cute and hope she is the best kid you have and you will a great dad.thank you.
Kyle, your baby is gorgeous & i’m sure you will such an amazing father to your babygirl! She is SO lucky to have you as her daddy! I love your blogs, this one brought some tears. Your story is beyond amazing & unbelievable & how you never give up on anyting. NO MATTER HOW HARD, EASY, SCARY, OR TEMPTING, YOU ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO DO IT! Keep inspiring to everyone around the world to get your message! STAY STONG KYLE!!!!
also. enjoy everything in life. the worst times, will help you in the future. learn for the past. also enjoy everyhing. and enjoy everybody. you never know will people will stop living, and when the precious moments will be gone. if i could go back and change the past i would. thank you for being such a good inspiration. you are amazing
you are so inspirational I LOVE YOU!
Hi Kyle,
Having had a number of challenges in my life, having cerebral palsy quadriplegia and having recently had 2 significant spinal surgeries within the last 3 years, I like you have overcome these barriers, and as a final year Phd student in Independent Living, I always try to succeed at my endeavors without any excuses or favors.
I’ve never had that many “disabled” friends as a deliberate choice, because I have always thought that I have had an independence of mind which over-rides all of my physical shortcomings,
Thank you for making the public aware of your abilities, primarily, and putting your perceived difficulties second to the person that you are.
Regards from Ireland,