Reflections on a Thursday Morning

As 2016 enters its final act and prepares to close the curtains on another year, I am reminded as I sit with my family, wrapped in the warmth of the holiday season, of the brevity and finality of this life as the words of William Shakespeare echo throughout the auditorium of my mind...

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts

Shakespeare used this analogy to illustrate the definitive cycle of life, and upon deeper examination I fell upon another and perhaps even more important meaning.

Tomorrow is not a promise made, nor an audience guaranteed. 
Today's performance and cast is possibly our only chance at an encore.
Be bold and courageous, and choose carefully the ensemble within your guild.
Live every moment as if in the spotlight, because eventually the curtains will close on us all.