It’s that time of year again and for those of you who have been following my blog and articles, both when I wrote for the newspaper and now online, you know that in the month of December I never write about business. I’ve always believed there are 364 days of the year that we can talk about business, but one day of the year I want to talk about matters of the heart. I want to share stories of the human condition, relationships, and thoughts that move us to be better human beings. So here we go!
Every morning, my routine is to get up and head straight for the gym. While I’m on the treadmill or the elliptical trainer, I usually do my devotionals for the first 30 minutes of my day. This was a devotional that I read a couple of weeks ago that just smacked me right between the eyes. I’d love to share it with you.
Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. Psalms 90:10
Don’t Waste Another Day
When we come to the end of our days, God is going to ask us, “What did you do with the time I gave you? Did you develop your gifts and talents? Did you accomplish your assignment? How did you spend your life?” It’s not going to work to make excuses for why we did not redeem the time. “God, my friend got me off course.” “God, I lived bitter because somebody did me wrong.” “God, I was negative because my company let me go.”
You have a responsibility to live your life well. Make the decision that you’re going to be an on-purpose person. Set your goals and be disciplined- stick with it. Prune off the relationships that are not adding to your life. And don’t go to bed with any kind of defeat, bitterness, or negativity still in your mind. Every day is a gift. Make sure you’re investing your time and not wasting it. If you do this, the seeds of greatness inside you are going to take root and flourish. You’re going to see God’s abundant favor.
In 2025, my goal is to lead what Pastor Rick Warren said is a purpose driven life. I want the people in my life to know, more than anything else, how much I love them and how much I care for them. I don’t want to waste my time, my talent, my treasure or my opportunities. This goes equally for my family as well as the clients and colleagues we serve here in Kona, Hawai`i.
In the early 2000s, before my real estate career started, my wife and I owned a health and fitness company. We published written, audio, and video content on health and fitness as well as developing a program that we ran in conjunction with an oncologist in Denver. The purpose of the program with the oncologist was helping patients with diet and exercise to mitigate the symptoms they were experiencing from either cancer or its treatment. For several years, my wife and I worked side-by-side with the doctors and did regular rounds in the hospital. It was some of the most fulfilling work of my life. There were several times where I had the opportunity to sit by the bedside of someone who was in their final days. And in all those times of handholding, not once did any of those people ever tell me they wished they had worked harder, that they had achieved more or that they had made more money. No; instead, they all talked about missed opportunities with loved ones, wasted time/wasted days, bitterness, negativity, fences they should have mended years or decades ago. And I am guilty of falling into all these traps.
If you’ve ever read the Bible from the first page to the last page, there is one central theme that runs through the entire book… people matter, relationships matter and loving each other through this life.
Time is running short for all of us! So, the prayer that I have for myself and all of you this holiday season is, “God help me to live a purpose driven life, and help me to love well. I pray I am never a hinderance but rather a helper in all situations. Keep me grounded to what and who is important. No wasted days, no wasted talent, treasure or opportunities.”
And if you have a wife like mine, you don’t have to worry about being held accountable to this goal in 2025!
Mele Kalikimaka and Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May God bless you and your family this coming year and for years to come.
With Aloha,
Dan
Dan Polimino is the owner of the Hawai`i Team in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i. He and his team are the luxury residential experts for the Big Island. If you are thinking about buying or selling in Hawai’i, then please reach out to us at team@thehawaiiteam.com or call 808-913-0899.
