Steve Jobs said “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
Well said, and one we can all pay attention to.
Most of us have also heard of Bronnie Ware’s top five regrets of the dying.
1. “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
2. “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”
3. “I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”
4. “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”
5. “I wish that I had let myself be happier.”
We can see the theme here: Living a life that is true to yourself.
So often we get caught up in what others think or what they are doing rather than what is congruent and authentic for ourselves.
We may focus on the two pounds we gained over the weekend rather than what a wonderful connection we had with our friends. Or feeling pressured to do something you don’t want because we are afraid of not being liked.
It was one of my client’s birthday’s today—he turned 68. He is struggling with his age, not for any other reason than he has not really honored who he is and what he has to offer the world. Rather, he has spent his life working in a job he has not enjoyed and not really knowing what is important to him. This has left him with regrets and despair.
I’m not 68, but I already can see where I need to refocus to live an authentic life. It really does take being conscious of how we live.
It is easy to get stuck in living for the future or past. Both of these create anxiety, fear of what might be, and regrets of the past. Living now, consciously, through being in the now.
Simplicity is one of the easiest ways to keep focused on what is important. I have not met a person yet who has regretted simplifying their life. I am sure I am not teaching you anything new or that you have not heard. However, we get so distracted by irrelevant stuff, that we forget what we know.
After saying “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life,” Jobs continues on to say “… have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become.”
Heart and intuition, what does this mean? Simplicity to start with helps us to stay present to our heart and intuition. Busyness, drama, over thinking, getting distracted with the small stuff, all keeps us away from our authentic and best selves.
My best days are when I am able to walk the beach, make a difference in a few people’s lives and eat a healthy dinner. What I know about myself is that I need to be active, I need healthy relationships. I protect what is important to me, that makes me happy, and in turn I have more to offer the world.
What is your best? What do you know you need to be authentic? What does your heart want, what does your intuition say?
Listen. To listen sometimes we have to slow down, be aware of our thoughts, what might be distracting us.
Please don’t let the days, weeks and years go by. Know who you are and live that authentically at all costs. Then when you turn 68 or 98, you will have no regrets, only great memories of how you have lived your life and who you have been.
Enjoy today for today.
Contact Dr. Zavala at DrZavala@mac.com or DrZavala.com.
