Posted On: Sunday, 10 April 2011 by Rajiv Popat

Assuming that you are like most people what do you think are the things that you will find most frustrating when you sit down to reflect about your life on your death bed.

I know the thought is slightly morbid, but humor me. Go on. Think about it.

What are you going to be sorry or sad or angry or depressed about when you are on your death bed?

No, it's not going to be your failures.

If you are a decently good human being, it's probably not going to be all the things you did.

Chances are, that you are going to be the most angry about the things that you wanted to do but did *not* do.

That opportunity to implement an idea that you chickened out of.

That opportunity to make friends that you missed out on.

That opportunity to make a difference in your life and the life of your loved ones that you did not work on.

That friend you did not make, that terrain you did not trek, that mountain you did not climb, that business you did not start....

All because you were too scared of playing hard and failing.

Of course you have limited resources, limited time, limited opportunities, limited talent, limited courage but if you can build a life where you can truly say you genuinely tried your level best, you will not just die happily but actually live happily and be much more effective as a person than you currently are.

Of course you might have a larger list of failures, but you will have no "could haves", "would haves", "should haves" in your life.

So the question to ask yourself every night is, did you give that personal or professional opportunity your level best? The answer has to be deeply honest.

And if the answer is yes, you are going to have a good nights sleep.... even if you failed.

At least, it will be one less thing to worry about when you are alive and one less thing to whine about when you are dying.


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