Don’t Look Back On Your Life and Regret What You Cared About
The Curation Series: Be Present…Now
“If you’re constantly ruminating about what you just did or what you should have done or what you could have done if you only had the chance, you will miss your life.” — Sam Harris
It is coming.
That day when a loved one dies or when you are close to death and you remember what is important.
Then you look back on all the things that you actually thought were important and it dawns on you how much time you wasted worrying about meaningless, petty thoughts, worries and regrets.
All the times you wish life was different. You’re angry because of what that person said or did. You have FOMO. You wish you could have done better or been more clever. You could have said that perfect thing to cause her to come back. You could have spent more time with this loved one.
Or the time you spend looking forward to that day you’ll be happy, when this thing or that thing occurs. When you have this person or that person in your life. When you’re able to buy that house or go on this vacation.
So much time wasted in the past and the future, never fully realizing that every thing exists now because you can only ever think now. The past and the future are things you’re thinking of right this moment. That’s all they’ll ever be.
Your mind is all you have and all you have to give. And it only ever exists in the present. So try to recognize that you can give it now and be happy or fulfilled now.
You know it won’t last forever.
How Can You Create a Life Truly Worth Living Given That Your Life Will End?
The aforementioned question is one we all have to figure out for ourselves.
Creating a good life is just as much a matter of what we decide to do as what we decide not to do.
And Richard Carlson has a good rule of thumb for what not to do.
“The key to a good life is this: If you’re not going to talk about something during the last hour of your life, then don’t make it a top priority during your lifetime.”― Richard Carlson
Be present. For yourself and for others.
Focus on the important things, meaningful experiences and people you enjoy.
You lost someone? Remember them, learn to take fewer things for granted, but blaming yourself for not being there enough is serving no one, and worse, it’s taking time away from people you could be with now.
Don’t waste too much thought on meaningless and petty things.
The day will come where you’ll look back and remember where you put your focus and attention.
When it does, make sure your memory will be of a life where you lived and gave in the now.
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This article is Day 20 of the 30-Day Fishbowl Series
You can start the series by clicking HERE.
