Be Dashing: How to Live Fully in the Dash of Life

I think I have a new favorite word.

DASHING.

The traditional definition is pretty fabulous: attractive, adventurous, energetic, confident.

But I want to add another definition.

DASHING: actively living the dash between your dates.

Because dashing is an action.

And whatever you’re doing, wherever you are in your life, you can BE DASHING.

I recently shared Linda Ellis’s beautiful poem The Dash, about that tiny line between the date we’re born and the date we die. The Story Behind The Dash Poem – Linda Ellis

Two dates.

One little dash.

And everything that matters happens in between.

Every person you’ve loved. Every friendship. Every adventure. Every ordinary morning. Every spectacular night. Every mistake. Every comeback. Every heartbreak. Every belly laugh.

It’s all in the dash.

So don’t simply have one.

Live a dashing life.

Being dashing doesn’t mean your life has to look exciting from the outside.

You can be -

Dashing while building a business.

Dashing while raising children.

Dashing while caring for someone you love.

Dashing while starting over.

Dashing while learning something new.

Dashing while helping somebody else.

Dashing while sitting around a table with old friends.

You can even be dashing while doing absolutely nothing.

Because here’s the part I really love:

A dash can also be a pause.

Maybe we’ve confused living fully with constantly moving.

They’re not the same thing.

Sometimes being dashing means stopping long enough to notice your own life.

Look around the table.

Listen to the story you’ve heard a hundred times.

Hug your kids.

Treasure your friends.

Feed the animals first.

Watch the sunset.

Put down the phone.

Take the nap.

Be where your feet are.

The pause is part of the dash too.

Then, when it’s time, get moving again.

Make a dash for something you want.

Dash off on an adventure.

Add a dash of humor when life gets too serious.

A dash of courage when you’re afraid.

A dash of kindness when somebody needs it.

A dash of style because why not?

And please don’t dash somebody else’s hopes.

Encourage them.

Help them.

Remind them to keep going.

Because our dashes don’t happen alone.

They overlap.

I’ve loved extraordinary people whose dashes have ended. Of course I wish those lines were longer.

But I’m profoundly grateful that their dashes crossed mine.

That’s the gift.

We can’t control how long the line will be.

We can control a lot of what we put into it.

• Love.

• Family.

• Friendship.

• Purpose.

• Curiosity.

• Generosity.

• Grit.

• Resilience.

• Laughter.

• And yes, a little fabulous.

BE DASHING isn’t about rushing through life.

It’s almost the opposite.

It’s about being fully alive for the life you’re already in.

Whatever you’re doing, be dashing while you’re doing it.

And when life asks you to pause, pause.

That’s part of your dash too.

Then get back out there.

BE DASHING.

The dash between the dates is happening right now.

And if you’re not dashing?

Get to it. ❤️