The first Sunday of every month, some blogger friends and I have decided to offer something a little more thought-provoking…a little more inspirational. Last month, I shared the subway art printable about becoming who you want to be. This month, I was thinking I would share a little bit with you about a fabulous lesson that I heard in church last week (based on the talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf.) It really got me thinking about how I live my life and what regrets I may have at the end of it. I loved it!
The story (true) is told of a nurse who spent her days caring for terminally ill patients (The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware) She would find the appropriate moment to ask them this one question, ‘Do you have any regrets?’ Of all the patients she asked, she heard the following responses most often:
1. “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”
As a natural busy-body, this is something I’m always trying to find balance in. I want to be a hard worker, yet I fear being caught up and overlooking those who are most important to me. Honestly, that was one of my biggest reasons I wanted to homeschool. It ensures that I stop everything I’m doing and just be with my kids, every single day. With my personality, I feel like I need something like that, and I think it’s good for them too, in many ways. But despite that, it seems that I always add more ways to busy myself with frivolous matters and find myself wondering what the heck I’m doing. To me, there is so much joy in spending quality (and a large quantity) of time with those I love. I just have to constantly find that balance. *sigh*
2. “I wish I had the courage to live life true to myself.”
I think I told you before, but most of my childhood years, although happy, were spent thinking that I was pretty lame. I wasn’t really exceptional at anything, and anything I was good at seemed to be those things that are unappreciated by other kids…like, being a good listener, being organized, working hard, etc. I wanted to be a soccer star, sing like a bird, and amaze people with works of art. But, there wasn’t much hope for any of those things. What I didn’t realize is that I was still special and had something to offer this world, just like everyone else. As an adult, through trial-and-error and lots of soul-searching, I have found many, many ways in which I can be a little light in this world, and share my own personal gifts with others. It might not be anything fancy or glorified by society, but it can still make a difference to me and others. There’s no doubt in my mind that everyone in this world has their own gifts and amazing potential. It seems to take never-ending effort to discover our best selves and magnify who we are, but I believe it’s worth it.
3. “I wish that I had let myself be happier.”
What are your thoughts?? What do you think you might regret the most at the end of your life?
And, on that note…how about a little subway art for this month of love? It’s not completely related to my ramblings, but that’s okay.
For more February inspiration, visit some of my bloggy buds: Your Homebased Mom, Sugar Bee Crafts, and Girl Loves Glam.
Rachel says
Thank you for your thoughts! I love Elder Uchtdorf’s talks.