Five or six years ago, I had a revelation. It has rocked my world.

I woke up one morning and decided it was going to be the best day ever.

This really happened. And the intentional choice changed everything. We often think of the best day ever in terms of “countdowns”. We countdown to vacations. We countdown to graduations. We countdown to weddings. We countdown to trips and breaks and weekends.

But the revelation, the simple decision to make every day the best day has shifted a paradigm in my life.

You see, I’ve been through things that could be considered the worst day ever. My dad died of cancer when I was 22. I had cancer in my ankle. I was in an abusive relationship. Those are not exactly best day ever candidates.

Or so we think.

Today is the best day ever because if today were my last day, I would want it to be my best day. Therefore, today is the best day ever.

Period.

It’s really a simple strategy.

We all are going to die. But —–

We don’t know when we are going to die.

And that day could very well be tomorrow.

I can’t choose what’s going to happen to me. So I’m going to choose how I respond to it. How I live it. How I embrace the moments. How I “glean” the good from the bad. How I learn from suffering. What I do with pain. When I take a deep breath.

Live the rule of 10.

When something happens, I ask myself this question:

Will this matter in 10 seconds? 10 minutes? 10 hours? 10 days? 10 years?

Then I respond accordingly. While keeping the best day ever philosophy in my back pocket.

With all that being said, what about the title of this post?

“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”

Many times, our fear is connected to losing something – our health, our friends, our material things, our family. But what if tomorrow was your last day? What would you do with that fear?

Realize that fear is (unless, of course, it is keeping you from touching a really really hot stove) not going to give you any positive results. 

You see, I’ve had both outcomes. I lost my dad to cancer. I was healed from mine. And in both situations, worry and fear did nothing to change the end of my story. But the choice – how I would respond to those endings – that’s what matters.

So. If today were my last day, would I care what that person thinks about my outfit? Nope. I’ll rock that moo-moo in style because it flows around my rolls. So, why should I behave any differently?

I can’t wait for that bad news to live each day like it’s my last.

I read an essay by The Minimalists called Someday. They basically tell you to make a pen and paper list of all the things you WANT to do. Then you label that list Someday.

Next, you write down all the activities you did in the last 24 hours, labeling that list TODAY. Then, I read this:

Sure, many of the items on this second list are necessary, or even urgent. But just because something is urgent doesn’t mean it’s worthwhile; in fact, misguided urgency is often the enemy of progress.

For most of us, someday is the single most dangerous word we utter: it grants us the illusion of future possibility without having to focus on that which is important today. Just imagine, though, how different your life would be if your lists switched titles: what if you flipped the page and made someday happen today? Or worse, what if you wait? Years from now you might be sitting around pining for someday to arrive someday.

The Minimalists are basically proclaiming the Best Day Ever Adventure – in their own words. And you can, too.

I’ve made a radical, revolutionary decision to make 2019 the BEST YEAR EVER. And I’d like you to join me. Starting January 1, a big tribe of us are going to be reading my book Choose: An Invitation to the Best Day Ever Adventure. 

Each of the 21 chapters of the book challenge you to CHOOSE something: vulnerability, forgiveness, gratitude, surrender, crush what others think, accountability, self “less”, enough, to wait, to listen, to stay, adventure, positive, stop busy, still, worship, pain, to learn, to love, joy, JESUS.

We’re going to read together, discuss together, go live together, and DECIDE how we will respond to WHATEVER comes our way in 2019. It is a 30 Day Challenge. There’s a reading guide, a challenge guide, and Adventure Maps for you to fill out as you read and learn and discuss.

Because who knows, it might be our last year. And we want it to be our BEST YEAR!

So, what would you do if you weren’t afraid?

I would bet you’d make the decision to make today – and every day – the best day. And you’d join us – HERE.

You know you want to. Or read more about it here. But don’t wait. Your Best Year Ever is right around the corner. No matter what happens, you’re gonna choose it.