‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but the moments that take our breath away’
I have always loved those words, but every time I hear it, it does bring a tear to my eye. Because, I have to admit it, I have many regrets in my life. I’m trying to make up for some now, but some are just impossible, because I would need to go back in time to change them.
These days, when I can, I try & make the most of my time. It’s true, as you get older, time really does have a nasty habit of disappearing in a blink of an eye.
If you don’t think it’s time to have a bucket list, then I’m here to tell you, that NOW is a good time to write one, NO MATTER HOW OLD OR YOUNG you are at the time you read this.
Make your life count. Have stories to tell, pass them down to someone younger than you. Keep a journal. I learned that much from Jim Rohn. He said ‘Don’t miss, don’t miss, don’t miss’.
How many times have you ever said ‘I wish I’d…’ More times than a little, I bet.
A few years’ ago, we decided that we’d missed going out to live shows, so in the space of a couple of years, we went to see Peter Kay live, The ‘War of the Worlds’ stage show & Neil Diamond. Wow, what memories. Those sort of shows have high ticket prices, so we still have a list of shows/artists we want to see.
I won’t bore you with the complete list. It is massive, & I really have to get a wriggle on to get them fulfilled. I also have a separate list of places that I want to visit. That’s worldwide & including a huge list of places in the British Isles. These islands are beautiful. There is stunning scenery waiting to be appreciated, North, South, East & West, England, Wales, Scotland & Ireland.
So going back to my last Blog contribution, it’s important to remind yourself of things you have done, so apart from those I’ve already mentioned, I have to say that because I lived in London in the 60s, born & bred Fulham & then school in Chelsea, I was so lucky to get to meet so many famous people, quite simply because they were at parties & dances I went to. I got to see The Beatles live in concert twice, the first time my seat was right ‘up in the gods’, & they were so far away they were like matchstick men. I have to admit that the only way you could hear them was to scream along with the rest of the audience!! The second time was different. I had a seat in the second row from the front on Paul McCartney’s side of the stage, & I cried. I just couldn’t believe I was there!
Dancing was a big ambition of mine. The dance school I attended became part of a stage school agency & at 18, I was then the youngest person to get an audition with Lionel Blair. (If you’re asking ‘WHO?’ at this point, don’t worry, you are undoubtably younger than me), but missing out on a career in dancing is one of my biggest regrets, because when I was 18, if you were told NO, then that was it. My Mum would have let me pursue that ambition, but my father wouldn’t let me.
So, if you have a big regret like that, don’t spend time dwelling in the negative, find a positive from it. Think of the people you met & the places you went to, simply because you took a different path.
This is a good exercise at times like this. Go back to my last blog entry, where I spoke about finding a feeling that makes you feel good. These are things that I have learned from Lynn Grabhorn’s book ‘Excuse me your life is waiting’. You need to get proficient about turning on those warm fuzzy feelings. Find yourself a library of events, doesn’t matter if it’s something that’s happened or something you want to happen. If you can call up one of those feelings, & then fold into something you want. It doesn’t matter if the 2 things are completely different. It’s that feeling you’re looking for.
When you read a book, read it once, enjoy it, then go back to the beginning again & this time study it. This is YOUR book you don’t have to keep it spick & span, so start writing notes (& if this is the first time you’ve been told to do the following, you’ll hate it, but boy does it work)
Write at the side of what your reading if there’s a point you want to remember, YES write it on the book. If that’s not bad enough, I’m now going to get you to grab a highlighter & pick out things you find important. You will thank me. Each time you read the book, you will find more to pick out & then each time more & more sinks in. Have you ever wondered how people remember so many quotes & manage to reel off brilliant stuff? Now you know how. Don’t just read, STUDY. The great thing is that if you only have time for a 10 minute read everyday, then as long as that 10 minutes is built into your day, you will learn so much, & you’ll probably find more time to invest in reading!
If you’re new to reading the sort of book I’ve been speaking about, then a good introduction to this sort of ‘programme’ for learning is, quite simply to watch a DVD called ‘The Secret’ It will be the best thing you ever did, & it will give you such a kick to find out more.
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