Live life with no regrets

While recently browsing the web during my daily routine, I came across an article that had the headline, The top 5 regrets people make on their deathbeds.  With intrigue I clicked through and began reading. I then thought to myself while reading them, “how have I done in regards to these ‘regrets'”.  Am I on the path to make the same ones? Or can I say without a doubt that I do not share these regrets, for I have lived my life my way.

Well, let’s see…

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

I can say that up to my life right now, all 25 years of it, I have mostly lived life the way I wanted to live.  The reason why I say mostly is that I gotta be honest, during times in elementary school or high school I thought, “why bother?”.  However these feelings weren’t so much true desires as they were childhood stupidity.  My parents and teachers guided me and didn’t force me to go to college and get an education, but made me realize my true potential.

Other than my parents however, I don’t live the life of any other.  I do not change clothes with the trends, I do not change my taste in music, I do not change my attitude towards life.  Hell, ask my friends and they’ll say I haven’t really changed at all.  I do it my way.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.

This is an odd one because I’m only 25 years old and have only been in the full-time “real world” since 2007. I’ve had internships before and worked at shitty places (including being the cart guy at Target during High School), but even if you add up all my work and say its 10 years, 10 years of work isn’t that much.  People have been at companies 25, 35+ years.

What is “hard” anyways?  Is it the duration of the work?  Or is it the difficulty?  In my current position at Quiksilver, my work is definitely tough and time consuming but I love it.  If you’re working and it’s too easy, then it’s time to do something new.  I’d rather say I worked hard and conquered challenges than saying I didn’t work hard at all.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

If you know me, you’d know this is pretty ridiculous.  Simply put, I call a spade a spade.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

I have the same friends as I did in Kindergarten, Elementary School, Middle School, High School, and College.  Good friends is good times.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

I’m a very happy guy.  Could I be happier? Sure?  I’ll be honest and say I know that there’s an area of happiness in me that can be filled.  Perhaps a wife?  Or maybe a kid?  Only time will tell.  I’ve heard many stories that when you have a kid, your life changes.  I guess I won’t know till I have one right?

I will say though that the things I do are the things that make me happy.  I chill with friends, eat what I want, do what I want.  If you know me I don’t really live by any rules, other than getting to work on time M-F.  I’m definitely not the person who starves himself to get a better body.  If you get with me, you get me and my personality, the one that chooses to do what it wants.

In Conclusion

I’ve been constantly reminding myself this one fact: We only live 1 life

I’m definitely going to make sure I do it my way, by my rules.  Sure there is sacrifice along the way, some rules to adhere to, but as long as you can close your eyes for eternity tomorrow and say to yourself, “I’m happy”, then things are ok.

Original Article – TNW via Oh Darling