Life with No Regrets
My mother turns 80 this year and my in-laws are 85 and 90. Over the last five years, I have become acutely aware of how the aging process has restricted each of them. This has given me pause to think about the importance of living life now.
I've been thinking about what's on my Bucket List --things I want to do before I die. Hopefully I will have several decades left to do these things. That being said, none of us know what tomorrow holds.
Good health provides us with a freedom we often take for granted, until our health fails (loss of mobility, sight, hearing, cognitive reasoning, etc.) and we lose much of that freedom.
My husband is a primary care physicianl who often shares stories with me (without sharing a patient's name) about someone who has either suffered a life-threatening or life-altering injury, or who has been diagnosed with a serious or fatal illness. Because of his work, perhaps we are more consciously aware of how one's life and plans can change in the blink of an eye.
Someone recently sent me an article written by a nurse who worked in palliative care. Unfortunately, the article did not include her name, so I am unable to attribute this to the person who originally wrote about it. This nurse worked with patients who had gone home to die. The following is a paraphrase of what she reported learning from her patients who were faced with their own mortality. These patients only had 3-12 weeks left to live.
When asked about what they regretted or what they wished they had done differently, common themes surfaced. Here are the most common responses she received:
- 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 realize that their life is almost over and they take time to reflect on it, they become aware of how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most reported that they had not followed even a half of their dreams. They would die knowing that this was due to choices they had made.
- I wish I didn't work so hard. Every single male patient shared this regret. Some of her female patients did, too. They regretted not spending more time with the family because they allowed their work to keep them running on the proverbial hamster wheel.
- I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings. Many suppressed their authentic feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence. They did not tap into their authenticity or follow the path they truly desired. Bitterness and resentment set in, and some attributed their physical illness to the stress this created in their lives.
- I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. Some of the most significant relationships had gone by the wayside, and it was not until they were on their deathbed that they decided to reach out to some special people in their lives. They strongly regretted that they had not given their friendships the time and effort that they deserved. In some cases, they could not track down a cherished friend or family member in time.
- I wish that I let myself be happier. Some recognized that happiness is a choice, and they chose to stay stuck in old patterns and habits that did not serve them well. For many, this was because of a fear of what others might think. When one is on their deathbed, what others think does not matter nearly as much.
Here are some questions to help you think about what you may want to change in your life NOW!
- Where do you see yourself in five to ten years if you continue doing what you're doing and being who you're being right now? Answer this question for each of these areas of your life:
- Marriage / committed relationship
- Business / career
- Family
- Finances
- Spiritual life
- Health
- Hobbies
- What concrete action steps do you choose to take to make shifts in your behavior that will help you move toward what you want to do, be or have in each of the areas listed above?
- If you had one free day to do anything you wanted to do, what would your day look like? Where would you be? Who would you be with? What would you be doing?
- If you knew that you only had one year left to live, what would you do that is different from what you are doing now?
- What are some life experiences that are on your Bucket List? What do you dream of doing, being or having?
- What feelings do you have that you have not authentically shared with those you care most about? What would be possible in your life if you were to honestly share? (Sharing your authentic feelings could mean ending an unhealthy relationship.)
- Are there any important relationships that you have neglected that you choose to invest in NOW?
- What old patterns, habits, beliefs or relationships are you ready to let go of so you can be happy?
If your life is not as you wish it to be, it's time for you to make some different choices. One great resource to help you do that is Jack Canfield's book, The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. His #1 principle is this: Take 100% responsibility for your life. Following this single principle has completely changed my life.
The palliative care nurse ended her article with this advice:
"Life is a choice. It is YOUR life.
Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly.
Choose happiness."
The Music of Your Heart:
Freedom to Live the Life of Your Dreams
Through Network Marketing 
www.TheMusicOfYourHeart.com Although my book was written especially for network marketing professionals, several of the people who reviewed it plan to purchase a copy for their family and friends who are not in the network marketing profession. It is full of valuable tips and tools that can be used in any walk of life. Click here to learn more about the treasures that await you in this book, or read some excerpts! In addition to writing my book, I also wrote lyrics to a song and recorded that song. The CD accompanies the book. You can also hear the song right now, Listen to Your Heart, by going to my website above. If you’d like to access the Foreword by Jack Canfield, as well as my Introduction and the first chapter of my book, please visit the website and look for the "Read Excerpts" link. My book has been selected by the DSWA (Direct Selling Women's Alliance) to launch their Direct Selling Mastermind Book Club. This is a new global chapter program, and they have selected five books to study in 2012. I am deeply honored that they have chosen to launch their new program with my book. They launched the program by interviewing me on 2/15/12, and you can listen to the interview here.
|
Ready to Get Organized?
 This FREE webinar will help! Is this you? - Do you often wonder where the time went?
- Does your to-do list keep getting longer, even though it feels like nothing is getting done?
- Have you totally given up on keeping a to-do list?
- Do you have trouble finding what you need?
- Do you feel like you’ll NEVER catch up?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, I can help out by teaching you some powerful techniques that will help you increase your personal and professional productivity. In fact, don't be surprised if you can add an hour or MORE to your day EVERY DAY. Imagine what you would do with an extra hour each and every day. That is an additional 365 hours or over nine 40 hour work weeks of extra time. Think of this next time you make the statement, "I wish I had more time". Here's what you'll be able to accomplish when you attend my upcoming webinar and put what you learn into practice: - Set your priorities and focus on what matters most (do this and you'll be amazed at how fast you can start crossing things off your to-do list).
- Remember important follow-up tasks BEFORE rather than AFTER… (wouldn't that save tons of stress not to mention embarrassment?).
- Efficiently handle mail, filing, returning phone calls and other repetitive tasks so you'll have more time to do the things you LOVE to do.
- Streamline information management and communications (no more time wasted on information that's "interesting but not relevant" to what you need NOW).
- Relax and enjoy a less cluttered environment.
Register for a FREE monthly 90-minute webinar
Next webinar is Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Buried in Paper:
Learn a simple five-step process to help you eliminate paper pile-up forever | |
Send encouragement and appreciation to those you
care about...without leaving your home or office,
for less than a dollar a card!
 When was the last time you sent a cards in the mail to people you care about? Many people have quit sending cards because it has become too time-consuming and too expensive. Check out a wonderful high-tech/high-touch tool that enables you to easily and affordably send a real paper greeting card to someone you care about, without leaving your home or office. The cards are less than a dollar and you don't have to spend your gas and time driving to the store and post office to get it in the mail. You can even add your own photos and videos (using a scannable QR Code) to the card. Include a gift or gift card if you like! The best part is that you don't have to stuff, lick, stamp, address or take it to the post office. Everything is done for you. You just type your message and click SEND. This is one of the best ways for a business owner or independent professional to stay top-of-mind, which translates into more business. It's also a great way to stay in touch with family and friends in a meaningful way. Click here to learn more and try it for free! |
| |
|
|
 | Fill out this form to receive my
FREE report 7 Secrets
to
Fabulous
Follow-up. *Required field | |
© 2000
Paauw Enterprises, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
|
