The Most Important 5 Minutes of Your Life.

During my 15 years as a pastor, I was called to hospitals at every conceivable hour, standing by as people said their final farewells. I've witnessed countless emotional moments—goodbyes over the phone, tearful last words via FaceTime, and those who clung to life just long enough for one final hand squeeze or hug.

One time, while watching a mother say goodbye to her teenage son, it struck me… Our “last 5 minutes” will always be determined by, and therefore more important than, our “next 5 minutes.”

This is tough because If you’re anything like me, your next 5 minutes are often sabotaged by lingering regrets from the past or anxieties about the future. However, if you think about it, engagement with the next 5 minutes dramatically shapes the trajectory of our lives, including what our last 5 minutes hold.

Be Here Now

When struggling to stay present, I think about a practice a therapist gave me. He told me… “When you find that someone or something has you living in the past or worrying about the future, do the following exercise…”

Ask yourself, what is…

ONE thing I can taste
TWO things I can smell
THREE things I can feel
FOUR things I can hear
FIVE things I can see

By doing this, we ground ourselves in the present moment and, in doing so, give ourselves the best chance at intentionally shaping the future versus unconsciously promoting more of the same through unconscious living. Looking ahead 40 years, there’s a high probability you’ll desire one thing above all: to re-live these “next 5 minutes.” As echoed in the film Gladiator, “What we do today echoes into eternity.”

Let’s make these next 5 minutes count.