living with no regrets.
Just a quick post to say hello and goodbye. As of tonight I will be on my 6 week journey to Mysore, India to get my yogi on!
I am filled with excitement for the adventure ahead as well as a dash of nerves. I figure, it’s a completely natural reaction to feel anxious about the future, especially when the unknown is really unknown…like India. However, there was something that happened to me this week that settled any anxiety that was squirming around in my belly.
I met up with my Pop on Monday for morning tea. Pop is 92 years old, has had two heart attacks, two strokes and two knee replacements along with two beautiful wives (at separate times of course) to which he was married to for a total of 62 years. For all of this, he is looking damn fine for his age and still has a cracking sense of humour to boot and not to mention a bottomless pit of stories, to which he remembers and retells every single detail. You could seriously be there for hours while he chews your ear off!
When I asked him about the last overseas holiday he went on with his second wife (recently passed), tears welled in his eyes and he said ‘I left it too late’. He said it took him a heart attack to slow down and stop working. He admitted that he was married to his job for all of his life and he regrets not spending enough time with either his first wife before she passed away (my Dad’s mother) or his second wife. This brought tears to my eyes.
Though Pop is going strong, no-one is on their death bed and says ‘Damn I wish I had worked harder!’. No. They say, ‘I wish I had spent more time with my partner, my family and friends, taken more risks, enjoyed life…’
It reminded me of the blog written by Bronnie Ware, who worked with patients in palliative care (AKA going home to die) and she writes about some of the special times she shared with the dying elderly.
When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, she says there were 5 main regrets of the dying:
- I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me
- I wish I didn’t work 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.
Following on from this theme, it brought calm to nerves knowing that either route this educational holiday may go, I know that when I am old and grey I will never regret taking these three months out of my life for ME. I will never regret being couragous, taking risks, trying something new, expressing how I feel and letting myself be happy. I will never regret retelling the stories and lessons of my adventure to my future husband and kids.
So wherever you are, whatever you are doing, consider these five statements above and take a good, hard look at your life. Honestly ask yourself if you were to take a snap shot of your life right now would you feel none, some or all of these emotions when you are knocking on heaven’s door?
Be courageous – take risks and do what YOU want to do, not your parents
Don’t work so hard – remember to play and have fun
Express your feelings – tell someone how you really feel
Keep in touch with your close friends
Let yourself be happy – give yourself permission to enjoy life
While in India I will have intermittent access to the internet; however watch this space for my Yogi Adventures doco.
Sending you lots of LOVE your way!
Rx
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