Regrets

I read an internet article on what people regret as they lay dying. The most common theme is -Live life that is true to the self, not other people’s expectations. That’s it.

Wondering what this could mean for anyone living in this manner, I see two opposites. One is freedom of exploring life fully and becoming more natural and fulfilled. The opposite is a selfish boor, who takes from others rather than giving. And that leads me to what I would say of my regret – not giving more to others.

My career took off when I spent more time helping others than trying to earn more for myself and family. The income race is more an ego thing than a practical question of affordability. I can certainly say I was in that race, but one day, I became fascinated in changing things for the better, helping others become more of the who they could be.

There was no day in particular, or date, that I am aware of making this change. It just happened. Years later I could see that I was happy doing the work. I slowly became aware that this type of work actually made me happy.

The best advice an older person can give a younger, is – Find work you love to do, and you won’t work another day in your life.

That advice is very true in my case. The only problem is I didn’t know any of this when I was doing it. It was not a conscious thing. Years later I realized the truth of it all. It was fun, fascinating and personally rewarding to help others. The focus was not on me. I could lose myself in the work. That neutralized the ego thing, or at least a lot of it.

Most of us understand the truths involved here. Most of us do not live our lives in this manner. Those who do are happier and more accomplished than others. But a person can come to the truth and live it eventually if they truly want it. In a society erected on conspicuous consumption, the task is much more difficult. And yes, I loved cars, houses, clothes, watches and shoes. If I had the time and the money, I indulged in these things.

Today I don’t care if the sweatpants I love to wear have holes in the cuffs. I will wear these into public spaces in spite of the tacky appearance. Why? Because it really doesn’t matter what others think of me. I know me. I know my worth. I am satisfied that things have turned out well regardless of what I have.

What I have becomes less important as the days tick toward the final end. We don’t know when that will happen, but the longer the time span, the happiness is even greater. God, I wish I had known this years before!

Time to share that with others when it will do the most good!

April 10, 2024

 

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