Every week, I write an email to my interns. I include events, requests, and responsibilities. But I also include a personal thought. Here is this week's.

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Dear Health & Wellness Interns,

How many weekends do you have left this quarter? 8

How many weekends left until the end of spring quarter? 34

How many more weekends until my older daughter turn 18 and leaves home? 230

230 seems a lot more than 8. And it is. But weekends will come and go. It will be here before I know it.

We pretend, or trick, or just believe that we have all the time in the world. But time is a finite resource.

How are you going to spend your time? I hope this email helps you reflect on your values and how you want to live every day. Don’t just go through the motions. Be intentional. Be mindful of your choices.

I challenge you to make a positive difference in the lives of your friends, family, and community. Use your strengths to help others. This Health & Wellness internship is only one way to do so. Be creative. Be true to yourself.

Can you be mindful all the time? No. I often, daily really, relapse into going through the motions, reacting instead of being intentional. We don’t have to be perfect. Perfection is impossible. Don’t fall into the thought trap that anything less than perfection is failure and not worth trying.

Let this email be a bug in your ear that reminds you to keep your eye on what is important to you. Do something intentional today that matches your values. And in the future, when you randomly remember to be intentional, do it again.