“Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”- Mark Twain
Is it possible to live a life without regrets?
If so how is that done?
How am I going to live, knowing that I will die?
I ask myself these questions frequently. Nearing middle age, I remind myself “life is short.” Time is a valuable resource, which is limited, the question unknown to all of us is the amount. A colleague of mine says weekly, “we only have so many heartbeats.” And knowing this, how do you want to live your life?
For many of us during covid, we had nothing but time to pause and reflect on what we want to do when lockdowns lifts. What was it we really valued? Was it travels to adventurous places? Visiting friends and family? Being in a romantic relationship? Changing careers? Deepening one’s spiritual community? Trying a new hobby you have been putting off?
I know I write about this topic frequently, but the essence is important. There is an app called “we croak” , which reminds us five times a day we are going to die. This is taken from a Buddhist tradition from Bhutan. When the app warns you, death is imminent, and inspirational quote follows. This is not meant to be morbid or dark, but remind you that your life is waiting to be lived. It’s interesting because I share this app with so many people, I even talk about it when giving presentations or workshops. So I found it interesting when I shared the above Mark Twain quote with a friend this past week, he shared a quote with me from the we croak app. “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”-Dolly Parton
Time is a valuable treasure. In our youth, many of us feel we are immortal. Death will be during “old age,” but the truth is none of us knows when this will come. If you are not proud or joyous in the life you are living, you have the luxury to take that other path.
We have all these opportunities to course correct our lives. If you are dissatisfied, will you take it? If not, why not? What are you waiting for?
It Only Takes A Smile 