Living without Regrets

Someone in the Twitter-verse retweeted a link to a blogpost with the title, "Regrets of the Dying."  Living life with few regrets is a difficult challenge and requires a special kind of courage.  I believe regret has its place though since learning to be courageous can often be an outcome of having a regret and vowing to not let it happen again.  The key is to have the 20/20 vision of hindsight and the time to correct your mistakes...which can be tricky, depending on when you get that perfect vision back.  

The blogpost was written by a Bronnie Ware, who worked in palliative care.  She listed the five most common regrets she heard as her patients reached the end of their life.  Of course the first, and most common, regret struck a chord:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. 
This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.  

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

After doing my own "mid-year" check-in yesterday (which my husband has informed me is a month early....but, oh well!), I found Bronnie's blog to be perfectly timed.  I started thinking about how I want the rest of the year to play out at the beginning of the day yesterday and then, after reading her blogpost, I gave thanks for having a "rest of the year" to plan out.  And that in visualizing my plans for the next six months, my plan is to continue following my dreams.  And how very blessed I am to have my health and the freedom that brings to live without regrets.  And I also thought about how my health is never guaranteed and yet is too often taken for granted.

As the weekend begins, I encourage you to read the blogpost and consider where you're at in your life.  Do any of these "5 most common regrets" strike a chord with you?  Is it possible to change the trajectory of your path before it's too late?  I'm not talking about making major life changes - unless that is what you want and need!  But even small changes like putting away the computer to spend more time with your loved one (something I need to do more often!).  Or telling someone you love them....even if you think they already know it.  Or calling a friend that you miss and have lost touch with.  Or signing up for a class in a passion you wish you'd pursue.  Or taking out your sketchpad or paints to create.  Or just by taking a moment and choosing to change a negative outlook you're holding onto...and realizing that you have the power to let it go.

Your time is precious.  How do you want to spend it?