What Would You Do Different If Lived Your Life Over?
I often think about, " What if I could have a do-over on some of the
choices I made in my life? What would I do differently?"
Life doesn't really offer do-overs
and I know it’s useless for me to kick myself over things I can’t change. So,
are there any benefits in reflecting on the past? I say yes, because it
helps me see what I wish I had done differently and helps me set goals for the
way I want to live my life in the future.
Survey of 95 and older people.
Dr. Anthony Campolo, Professor of Sociology, Eastern College, St.
Davids, Pennsylvania, shares the results of a survey where 50 people 95 years
and older were asked: “If you
could live your life over what would you do differently?” The
answers surprised me. With more than 5000 cumulative life experience ……These
old folks said that if they could live their lives over, they would…
1. Reflect more.
These seniors said they would take the time to think about what
was going on and live their lives along well-thought-out priorities. They would
contemplate the meaning of life, family, work and much more.
2. Risk more.
These wonderful aged human beings said they would have taken more
chances in life. If they could re-live their lives, they wouldn’t be so scared
to take risks. They would have developed more courage to venture out of their
comfort zones.
3. Do things that would outlast them.
They wanted to know that their lives counted for something, that
long after they left this world, somehow their impact would live on. We all can
learn something from these people about setting goals.
In his book, Living,
Loving and Learning by Leo Buscaglia’s he included this letter from an 85-year-old man.
If I had my life to live over
again, I’d try to make more mistakes next time. I wouldn’t try to be so
perfect. I would relax more. I’d limber up… I know very few things that I would
take so seriously, I’d be crazier. I’d be less hygienic… I’d climb more
mountains, I’d swim more rivers, I’d watch more sunset… I’d eat more ice cream
and fewer beans. I’d have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones.
You see I was one of those
people who lived prophylactically and sensibly and sanely hour after hour and
day after day… I’d try to have nothing but beautiful moments- moment by
moment by moment.
I’ve been one of those people
who never went anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a gargle, a
raincoat, and a parachute. If I had to do it all over again, I’d travel lighter
next time. If I had to do it all over again, I’d start barefoot earlier in the
spring and stay that way later in the fall. I’d ride more merry-go-rounds, I’d
watch more sunrises, and I’d play with more children, if I had my life to live
over again. But you see, I don’t.”
20 Things I would like
to do-over.
·
Studying
harder.
·
Taking up
more hobbies.
·
Writing down
stories older people told me.
·
Learned a
second language.
·
Started
saving money as a teenager.
·
Taken more
vacations.
·
Wrote more
thank you notes.
· Saved things that would be important to me today.
Kept in touch with old friends.
·
Took better care
of myself. Eating better and exercising more.
·
Hugged my
kids more and told them how much they mean to me.
·
Worked less
and spent more time with my family.
·
Watched less
TV.
·
Read more
non-fiction books.
·
Taken a
writing class.
·
Started a
journal earlier in my life.
·
Relaxed more.
· Less spur of
the moment buying.
·
Took up
drawing.
· Said more "Thank you's," more "I'm sorry's," more "I love you's."
I could easily come up with
several more re-dos, but the goal of this exercise is to look at some of
the things I wished I had done differently, not all of them.
How learning has changed
my life.
Never stop learning. I’m
dedicated to continual self-education and learning. If I don’t learn at least
one new thing every day, I feel like I wasted that day.
If I don’t write things down,
I forget them. I journal every day and I’m very honest when I express my thoughts,
successes, failures, and fears. One person I cannot afford to BS, is me.
It’s never too late to change
who you are. I’m working on being a better person. I try to correct my
bad habits and be more open minded on issues.
Conclusion.
There
is more to living than purely existing. It makes you take a hard look over your
own life when you read what the group of 95 or older say about what they would
like to do over. If you wrote a letter like the 85-years old letter to your 10-year-old
self, what would it say. I believe the primary benefit when we look back and
think about our lives, is it makes us focus more on what we can get done
than what we haven’t accomplished.
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