End of day, Let there be No Excuses, No Expectations, No Regrets.

Published: Mon, 08/27/18

Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, it might have been.

— Kurt Vonnegut

Life is too short for regrets.

Look at the representation below and tell me that's not scary. A good kind of scary.

You would think most mature thinkers would appreciate the power behind that statement but instead, we bury our heads in the sand and ignore the freedom it offers us. In my humble opinion, we are squandering a powerful tool for motivation. I’m not trying to be morbid I’m presenting a case for you to achieve your goals without excuses. A decisions can be scary thing. Especially those of us who value ourselves and take the decision-making process seriously. No one wants to shoot for the stars and fail but we are forgetting one important point.
You can never fail when you aim high.
Making a decision to do something you have never done before is always a win-win. Even if we miss our targets the power of the decision lingers. We have expended energy, transformed ourselves to reach that new level. Making a decision to be more, see more and achieve more is always a life-changing event no matter what the results.

"Your level of success will never exceed your level of personal development because success is something you attract by the person you become.”

Hal Elrod

I sometimes get despondent when things aren't working how I expect but I remind myself that what is important is the person I become on my way to my dreams. I’m working on myself, making those easy and scary choices. trying to make no excuses, socializing more, taking more risks and enjoying the process. Living in the now with no regrets is a work in progress.

Hope this Helps

Bronnie Ware insightful book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying outlines the common regrets of the elderly. Shining a spotlight on what is ultimately important.

I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it's easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realise until they no longer have it.
I wish I hadn't worked so hard. This came from every male patient that she nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, All of the men she nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. Many had deep regrets about not giving friendship the time and effort it deserved.
I wish that I had let myself be happier. This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice.