It took me a year to do this video. A year ago, we lost Benoit.
Benoit was my sister’s husband. He was in Paris a year ago, having a drink in his house when he got stung by a wasp or a bee. He suffered a severe anaphylactic shock and died from a heart attack. This was completely unexpected. Benoit had never reacted before after being stunk by a bee and he was very healthy. His doctor couldn’t believe it. It was such a freak accident and such a tragedy.
He left behind my sister, Aude. They had met at high school and were an amazing couple. He left behind four beautiful children, as well as lots of family members and friends who absolutely adored him.
It made us realize that these things can happen to anyone of us.
I have no idea how long I’m going to be here, alive. Something could happen to me tonight, in a week’s time, in a year’s time, in 10 years times. Even worse, something could happen to my beautiful wife, to one of my amazing kids, to someone that I love. We have absolutely no control over that. The only thing we can control is to make sure that we live every moment to its fullest.
I love the phrase of Gandhi: “Live every day as if it was the last.”
Now for me this doesn’t mean that I’m going to do crazy things and spend all my money. It means that I need to be fully aware of what is really important to me and to put these things first.
What is the trip that you’ve been procrastinating going on? What is the one place on earth that you need to go one day?
What are you waiting for?
What is the passion that you’ve been putting on a back burner for years? Are you waiting to be retired to find the time?
What are you waiting for?
Who are the people that you need to reconnect with? Who are the people you need to spend more time with?
What are you waiting for?
So, for me the life lesson is very simple: don’t wait.
I have so many wonderful memories with Benoit and I’m very grateful for them. Despite the distance between Benoit’s family in France and mine in Australia we shared some great moments. They came to Australia twice. We shared an amazing summer holiday in the South of France and went many times to see them in Paris. We were lucky enough to have this amazing adventure holiday in Sri Lanka, the two families together.
So many beautiful memories and I am so grateful for spending these special moments with Benoit.
I do have one regret though and that’s probably why I decided to do this video in front of the sea. Benoit and I shared this passion for the sea and diving. I took him diving and spear fishing a few times here in Sydney. We always said that one day we should do a free diving course together and we were really excited about this, but it never happened.
What are the places that you want to travel to?
What are the passions that you’ve been putting too long on the back burner?
Who are people that you need to spend more time or reconnect with?
Just don’t wait.
This is this week’s Work Smarter Live Better tip.
With love and care,
Cyril
