Imagine the world is a stage and we, the actors, are given the power to write our own scripts.

Every day becomes a choice. Every hour a decision. Every minute a test to see if we can somehow learn to love.

After seven decades of study, I’m convinced that love is the only metric that will finally count. It wears a variety of costumes, appearing on stage as empathy, generosity, encouragement, peacemaking, and simple acts of kindness.

Opportunities to show love are continually set before us, as if God were placing pearls along our path to be discovered and enjoyed. Or not. Each opportunity presents a moment of real-life drama. What will the hero do? How will the heroine respond?

“Nope,” I sometimes say. “Haven’t got time today.”

That’s called a tragedy.

People who are great lovers—I don’t mean in bed, necessarily, but in their day-to-day lives—can actually generate love out of thin air. These are the improvisers, who create pearls where none there was.

BONUS THOUGHT: You’ve probably heard the expression carpe diem, or “seize the day.” But why not embrace carpe momento?