My friend’s Dad died on Sunday.
He was 90.
Even at that age, he died suddenly and unexpectedly.
I guess it’s a good way to go.
He had a good life.
An Olympic skier.
A wildly successful business.
A family man.
He knew about success.
He knew what it took.
He was a leader.
I wonder if he had his time over if he’d do it all again.
Would you?
Do you know how you want to be remembered?
If you’re not sure (and that includes me)
one place to start is with what you don’t want to regret.
It’s a compass for living.
There’s no better book to help guide you than The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware.
Bronnie was tired of unfulfilling work and searched for a job with heart. She found herself working as a palliative care nurse, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. When she asked her patients whether they had any regrets or if there was anything they wished they’d done differently, the same themes came up over and over again. They were:
- I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
- I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
- I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
- I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
- I wish that I had let myself be happier.
It’s heartbreaking to think you might be having these regrets on your deathbed. At least we’re alive and can make adjustments now.
We have a choice.
You’re a leader.
Let’s start with work.
Given Regret #2, it’s worth thinking about.
You spend around 2,000 hours at work each year.
That’s a long time to spend with someone.
What impact are you having on the people you work with?
Whether you move jobs or they do.
Whether you stay in touch or not.
What kind of a difference are you making?
Do you know how you want them to remember you?
And what, if anything, do you need to start doing differently today so that you won’t have those regrets tomorrow?
