Hey , how's November going?

I don't often like poetry.

In my opinion, it's just words if it doesn't rhyme.

I know that's not the cultured thing to say.

Today, I wanted to share with you four lines of beautiful poetry.

See what you think:

And tell me, is it Socrates, Marcus Aurelius, or someone else who said this?

"If my life is for rent,

And I don't learn to buy

Then I deserve nothing more than I get,

'cause nothing I have is truly mine."

Thoughts?

Give it a second read.

Maybe say it aloud.

It wasn't a Greek Philosopher .

Or a famous writer.

It was Dido. In her 2003 song "Life For Rent".

Now.

Whether or not you've heard this song before, I think you ought to.

Song here.

(No affil).

But what does it mean?

I think Dido would be a great ambassador for humans BEING.

The idea of renting your life and not taking full ownership should speak to all of us.

It speaks to me.

It was me.

But, it was actually at someone's funeral where I made the sad realisation that the great life they had lived had one ingredient that mine did not...

Ownership.

If your life goal is no more than to

a) Save up enough money to pay off your student loan,

b) To save for a house,

c) So that you can, one day, save up for a nice retirement home,

This is for you.

Dido doesn't want to live a life that happens to her, she wants to make it happen.

To be proactive, not reactive.

Here's a story of someone I know:

They lived in a rented house for three years.

They hated the curtains.

But the place was rented.

If they’d owned it, they’d have binned them straight away.

But it was rented.

So they did nothing.

They could have bought new ones, even if they’d leave them behind later.

But they didn’t.

They weren’t sure how long they’d be there.

And that’s how most people live.

Waiting to own before they start improving.

Whether bought or rented, time is still time.

It's only going in one direction.

But the good news is you own it.

And why would you want to 'buy'?

Owning your life is hard.

Your losses are yours.

The pain is yours.

The blame is yours.

But what would you prefer?

To live someone else's?

There is literally no other way.

Your habit this week/end: Think 'am I renting or buying' when making life decisions.

Ask yourself:

• Who's body is this? Do I own it, and all the responsibilities? Or am I borrowing time from my future, very ill, self?

• Am I a good friend/partner, invested in their lives, or am I renting their time just to keep from being lonely?

• Am I bought into my work, or does it rent my time?

• Who owns my time and my calendar? Me? Or have my phone, my boss, my parent's expectations moved in as housemates?

With each of these, understand that you can own them.

You can be Dido - and learn to buy.

More responsibility brings more hard decisions.

More responsibility brings more risk.

But it also brings freedom:

The most scary way to live your life.

Yet, the only way you can really LIVE it.

So, that's Dido and Rihanna in two weeks.

Strap in for next week.

James - humans BEING.

Ping this to a friend who could do with some buying x