Seize the moment and spend time with the people you love and doing the things which you actually want to do. We are not guaranteed tomorrow — let us make the best use of today.

We need to live now, not in the past, or in the future. Jonathan Larson was wise to say,

“Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.”

Steve Maraboli put it this way,

“At the end of the day, let there be no excuses, no explanations, no regrets.”

Yes, I do have regrets, but I try to keep them to a minimum for all the above reasons. Yes, I have made mistakes, but I am trying to constantly recalibrate myself away from the negative and towards the positive.

Perhaps my single biggest danger is I work too hard and too long. It is because I am committed to a cause. But commitment can destroy you and your relationships if you are not careful.

This week I had some losses, but I also had a win. I had a 1.5-hour breakfast with one of my sons for no other reason than I really love to be with him. It was wonderful. I have not done it for a long, long time (to my shame), but I am going to do such things more from now on. I cannot change the past, but I can change the future. So can you!

The video below is titled “70 People Ages 5-75 Answer: What’s Your Biggest Regret?” — it has inspired my thoughts for you this week — “No Regrets”. I hope it inspires you.

Well-known author Colin Falconer has written a great article called “11 Ways to Live a Life with No Regrets.” Read the first four below and the full article here.

We all hope to live a life with no regrets — but how many of us do?

Ask yourself this question:

If it were all about to end for you tomorrow — if that meteor out there in space is headed right for us, if that drunk doesn’t stop for the red light — would you have regrets at the way it all turned out?

Many of us have known regret. Some regrets are unavoidable, but sometimes they can take over our lives. As Mick Jagger said:

“The past is a great place, and I don’t want to erase it or to regret it, but I don’t want to be its prisoner either.”

And what about the regrets we are in the process of creating today?

Let’s look at 11 things we can do right now so that when we write the final chapter on our own personal story, we can make it a happy ending.

1. First, Celebrate Your Failures

It’s really okay to screw up.

Have you ever watched a hurdler in the Olympics? Have you counted how many hurdles the winner knocks over in that 110 metres? About half of them! They don’t even break stride. Because it’s not about running the perfect race and not knocking over any hurdles, it’s about getting across the line.

It’s the same in football: the only guy who ever makes a mistake is the one involved in the play. So don’t ever regret failing — at least you were giving it a shot.

‘I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games.
26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.
I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that’s why I succeed.’
~ Michael Jordan

2. Claim Your Life

You’re the one bearing the consequences of your life — but are you the one living it?

Do you make your decisions based on your dreams and aspirations — or because it’s what your mother wants, what your father expects, what your husband needs?

Are you always afraid of what others might say about you if you live life your way?

One day life will be gone — imagine how you’ll feel if you get to the end of it and never made any of the important decisions in it. This is something you can change today.

‘One’s real life is often the life that one does not lead.’
~ Oscar Wilde

3. Say Yes or No Today to Your Dreams

Do you have a dream? Are you actively pursuing it — or have you left it for ‘one day’?

One Day is the one day that never comes.

So if you want never to have regrets then make the decision here, now, even before you finish reading this post: either say goodbye to your dream or start pursuing it today. That way you will have consciously made the decision to follow it or abandon it. So go for it — or forever be comforted by your reasons not to, then let go.

Then there will be no regrets.

‘Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time;
it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.’
~ Sydney J. Harris

4. Don’t Let Your Kids Grow Up Without You

We need to spend time at work if we’re going to succeed.

But we also have to remember what we’re doing it for. Kids are not kids for very long — and if you miss them growing up, you won’t ever get a second chance.

‘Your children love you, they want to play with you. How long do you think that lasts? Soon Jack may not even want you to come to his games.

We have a few special years with our children, when they’re the ones that want us around. After that you’re going to be running after them for a bit of attention. It’s so fast, Peter. It’s a few years, and it’s over. And you are not being careful. And you are missing it.’

~ Moira Panning, in “Hook”

Read the full article here.

Lovework

For this week, the lovework comes from Colin Falconer, the writer of the above article.

It is a wonderful challenge. Colin said,

“The greatest regret you can have is having someone leave your life forever and you haven’t told them how you really feel.

‘I love you.’

‘Thank you.’

‘I’m sorry.’ 

Is there someone you would like to say those words to?  

Do it now — you can never possibly know if this is not the last chance you’ll ever have to do it.”

Yours for No Regrets,
Warwick Marsh

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Photo by Arina Krasnikova.