DSD-018 Memories or Regrets

On July 1st of this year, Canada turned 151 years old. Three days later, the United States celebrated its 242nd. In the middle of that, I celebrated the 31st anniversary of my 29th birthday. I turned 60. I don’t know anyone who liked to turn 60. In January I was at the 60th birthday party of a very good friend of mine. He received a present from another friend who was 73… one of those gag gifts, like a senior citizen survival kit & every item in it was black and depressing. Yes, we all laughed but guess who was next in line to get that gift?

In theory, 60 is the age-marker when people start to lose their hair… 

In theory, 60 is the age-marker when gray hair really starts to set in.

You get the idea... because it’s just theory.

The pain of turning 60 is not that you’re turning 60. It’s the realization of what you may or may not have accomplished up until that point.

What are your regrets? Is it too late?

Author, Bronnie Ware spent several years as a palliative care nurse with people in the last 12 weeks of their life. When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, she says common themes surfaced again and again. The top themes were:

Wishing they’d not worked so hard Wishing they had the courage to express their feelings Wishing they’d stayed in touch with friends Wishing they’d let themselves be happier

No one mentioned missing the big game on TV or spending more time looking at their phones or missing taking that selfies with a celebrity.

Let me ask you something… Is there something in your life up to this point that you’ve regretted?

I know the answer. The answer is yes.  Every one of us has regrets. You can’t change that. You cannot erase history.

I don’t want you to look back. I want you to look ahead. You still have a dream, something you want to accomplish in life.

There is a huge difference between knowing you’ve done something you regret and not doing something you know you’ll regret later.

When I reached the summit of Long’s Peak, it was my 2nd attempt. I was being passed by teenage girls and I’m OK with that. It wasn’t a race but a personal challenge.

When I hiked up a volcano in Guatemala I was 25 years older than the next oldest participant. I wasn’t the last person to reach the top.

In 36 days I’m scheduled to do a 15+ mile hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. I’ve been wanting to do it for several years now. What a great way to celebrate the idea that although my body is getting older I refuse to let my mind and spirit follow along.

The oldest person to climb Everest is Yuichiro Miura of Japan, who reached the summit in 2013 at the age of 80. The oldest woman to swim the English Channel is Pat Gallant-Charette on June 17, 2017 was 66 years old. Also, in 2017, Dale “Grey Beard” Sanders at age 82 became the oldest man to hike the Appalachian Trail, 2,190 miles.

From the 2nd oldest guy in the room, I give you the following 3 pieces of advice about conquering new challenges in life.

Don’t let your past label you.We’ve all done things we’ve regretted. Let it go. Move on. Never let your age define you.Age is a number that only matters for AARP membership benefits and the senior’s menu at Denny’s... and that’s about it. Choose to die with memories, not regrets.Yes, it’s a choice. I know this because everyone in here still has a pulse. If you have a pulse, you have a purpose.

When you lose the idea of old as a number, you will enjoy living regardless of that number. 

Do you want to be remembered for what you did 10-20 years ago, or would you rather be remembered for something you’ve yet to do?

When I die, I want to go quietly in my sleep, unlike my 3 screaming passengers.

Die with memories, not regrets.

Further discovery on how to conquer new challenges in your life can be found in the book “Conquer What’s Next."

The book "Conquer What's Next" is available now. Bill McConnell is the content creator and author of the book.    amzn.to/2HBZ6s8    Websites:https://DoingStuffDaily.com  https://BillMcConnell.me  Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/wmcmcconnell  Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/DoingStuffDaily  Twitter:https://twitter.com/DoingStuffDaily  Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/billmcconnell  Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+WilliamMcConnellDSD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-mcconnell-5b96aa80/