Steve Martaindale

Me pondering the Merciful Love Labyrinth at the Shrine of St. Therese outside Juneau, Alaska, in the summer of 2010.

It’s not like me to plan in advance what to post on this page, but, for some reason, I noticed tomorrow, Oct. 19, is Evaluate Your Life Day.

Whoa! Evaluate your life? That’s a bit more intense than today’s National Chocolate Cupcake Day. It might require a head start to get prepared.

An understandable response to hearing about Evaluate Your Life Day would be to challenge the notion that one needs to participate. “My life is just fine, thank you very much!” That’s dandy news; carry on. However, if there might be a thing or two or twenty that could make your life better, then an evaluation day might be just the incentive you need.

“Life,” though, is a massive topic. Consider part of what that covers.

There are the people in your life, from a most significant other to children to strangers you meet. There is your work, whether you’re in the right job and doing it well, even whether you’re using your God-given talents in a productive manner.

Don’t forget yourself. Are you taking care of your health, both physically and mentally? What about spiritually? Are you in good shape financially? What does that mean to you? Are you balancing work with life?

Maybe it’s time to revisit that bucket list. Finish college? Start a business? Visit Machu Picchu?

Perhaps, Wednesday is not looking like a good day for you to set aside the time you need to properly evaluate your life. That’s to be expected, but do at least this one thing if you believe such an exercise would be good for you … pick a date in the near future and set it aside as your own personal Evaluate Your Life Day.

Excuse me, now … I have some pondering to do.