I would rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.

Robert Harling’s play and subsequent 1989 film “Steel Magnolias” focuses on a group of women living in a small town in the American South. One of them is Shelby (played by Julia Roberts in the movie), a type 1 diabetic whose condition makes childbearing dangerous. Determined to be a mother, she gets pregnant anyway. When her own mother (Sally Field) protests, she responds with these words above, choosing passing joy over what she worries will be an empty life. Not all our decisions may be as high-stakes as Shelby’s, but her intention serves as a worthy guide: We should always reach for what brings us fulfillment and wonder, regardless of the risk.