One of my favorite TV shows is CBS Sunday Morning.  2 years ago on their Sunday Passage segment, they paid tribute to famed weatherman Willard Scott and actor Ed Asner, but their biggest piece was on the passing of a behind-the-scenes cameraman, Isadore Bleckman.   

Isadore traveled the world with journalists and told stories through the lens of his camera in ways that hadn’t been seen before. 

From Civil Rights marches to climbing in a cherry picker to show the world what it’d be like from a kite’s point of view, before drones of course, Isi’s love for beauty and adventure poured through his work. 

I guess you could say he was one of the original content creators!  

At the end of the CBS piece, narrated by Jane Pauley, there was a short, tearful audio clip from Isadore himself saying: 

“I WISH I COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.”

I appreciate anyone who is dedicated to their craft.  But the reason I’m writing about this story from 2 years ago is because my Dad, Robert Sidney,  said the exact same thing at the end of his life … “I wish I could do it all over again.”  

My Dad was being interviewed at the nursing home where he spent the last year of his life for a documentary about a Tennessee Congressman named Ed Jones.  “Politickin'” was grass roots back then, and  my Dad was reminiscing  about working closely with Congressman Jones. 

At the end of the interview Dad got choked up, and believe me, that was not his way.  He took a long pause … and said  “I wish I could do it all over again.” 

What a great thing to say near the end! 

It wasn’t about singling out the big wins … they didn’t say I wish I could take that particular trip again, and win that award, but I don’t wanna change any diapers. 

THEY WANTED THE WHOLE MOVIE, START TO FINISH, AGAIN. 

If that’s true, then there’s something special in every day.  This is it.  Today is what you’ll want to experience again. 

All I know is that I received my favorite thing this morning – an inspired idea to write about – so that’s what I’m doing.  The back doors are open, there’s a light rain shower outside, acorns are falling from the trees and fall is palpable. 

I’ve been doing what I love to do today and working on how I can deliver something meaningful.  

Thinking about Dad and Isadore Bleckman, I wonder if I’ll think about the things I didn’t make time to do like have children or learn another language …. or if I’ll be so filled up by the end that all that’s left to say is – I wish I could do it all over again!  

Manager/Publisher Juli Griffith recently told the LP Creative Workshop class:

“YOU MIGHT BE IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT YOU PRAYED FOR.” 

I love this so much.  We’re always trying to get somewhere and we don’t often see that what we have is what we once desperately wanted. 

Even the struggle that you have at the moment could potentially be leading you closer to where you’re supposed to be.   If you’re in one of those moments of struggle, identifying the resistance and what you’re unhappy about is what Gay Hendricks, author of The Genius Zone, calls the Genius Moment.  He follows it up with the Genius Move, which is letting go of trying to control the uncontrollable and to feel the creative aliveness open up in side of you.  

My greatest heartbreak led to my greatest spiritual awakening, so I would definitely want to do that again. 

Today is your life.  It’s not the #1 song you hope to have in the future or job you didn’t get last year.  How can you fully drop in to today and appreciate everything that is showing up for you?  

Whether it’s a life in front of the camera or behind it, find the joy in today because chances are, you’re gonna wanna do it all over again.  

Take good care,