It’s better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret. (Jackie Joyner-Kersee)

Time has a way of bringing out the truth.

Let’s say there are two friends, fresh out of school and beginning their first jobs. They’re both healthy and trim.

We come back ten years later and compare notes.

The first took care of herself, ate right, and kept up with an exercise program.

The second made excuses for poor choices. He ate whatever he felt like eating and spent most of his time at either his desk or on the sofa.

Do you think their bodies would show any difference over the decade?

Would one be in better health? Would one look fantastic and the other like death warmed over?

You know the answer.

One managed life. The other let life manage him.

If the two met at a reunion, the first would likely say to herself, “I am so thankful I stayed on track.”

The second would be angry at himself. He would regret the loss of health and realize it was going to be tough to change.

Time always brings out the truth. In one year, you can be in better shape or you can be in worse shape. Time forces you to choose.

Life happens.