Six Regrets

1. Wasting your talents. You were born with some talent. You may not recognize your gift. Or you may have recognized your gift and set it aside because you didn’t believe your talent was enough. Your talent is a gift for you to use. If you believe it is a gift, then not using it would be to be ungrateful for what you have been given. It would also deprive the world of your talent and deprive it of a gift that only you can give. You don’t want to regret wasting your talents.
2. Not making a contribution. You are here for a reason. You are here to make a difference, to make a contribution. You may not know what your purpose is right now. That just means your job is to figure that out. If you do know what your purpose is and what your contribution is supposed to be, that’s what you should be doing. Even if it’s not how you make a living. Don’t regret not doing what you were here to do.
3. Not spending time with the people you love. Our work keeps us away from home and away from the ones we love. It’s tough to find the time to spend with the most important people in your hectic life. But ultimately, a lack of investment of time and emotional energy here is what you are likely to regret most of all. You can’t put a hold on time with the people whom you care about most. Your time is short, and no matter how much time you spend here, you will later wish it had been more. Double down and don’t regret not spending time with your people.
4. Not forgiving or accepting forgiveness. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. At some point, you will understand that most of the times you believed that someone had wronged you, the other person was suffering far more than you suffered. They were also suffering a much deeper pain. Most of all, you will realize that you need forgiveness as much as anyone else, and you’ll hope that no one deprives you of that forgiveness. When they offer forgiveness, accept it.
5. Living someone else’s life. There are plenty of people who are willing to tell you what your life should be based on what they believe their perfect life should be like. But their life belongs to them, and your life belongs to you alone. You will never be truly happy allowing someone else’s ideas, opinions, or expectations determine for you what your life should be. You will never regret living your own life, and making it 100% your own adventure.
6. Not living fully. Life is made up of experiences. You get to decide what those experiences are. Living fully means using your talents and gifts, making your contribution, spending time with the people you love, forgiving and accepting forgiveness, and blazing your trail. Your life is yours to live fully. Do everything you want to do, and don’t regret a minute of it.