To die without regrets!

I interviewed a 68 year old veteran for one of the open positions in my client's company(This blog was drafted couple of month's back, I just dint get a chance to publish it. This incident was back in September 2019); and he had so many things to share. He was a Vietnam war veteran, had been stationed in Middle East; and after leaving army has been working across the world, and now at the age of retirement has come back to his hometown Pennsylvania where he grew up. John's definition of retirement was interesting. He said he was still fit, lean and hits gym everyday, works out to stay healthy. One thing he mentioned, as he was sharing his decisions in life, was that he doesn’t have any regrets. And I told him, that it’s my goal to say that when I am 68 years old.

I know we all are busy. You all have numerous goals - buy a home, buy a car, get married, get a job, find a school for your kid and so on. And I also know, that days pass by without even realizing that you have breathed and relaxed consciously. Some of you even go to bed without giving a break to your mind; by that I don’t mean watching TV or any other activity, but it’s that span of time where you are consciously doing nothing, instead you are just relaxing and breathing.

I have been there in my early years of the job. I have seen days and weeks and months fly by, without me taking a break. And you really wouldn’t know, what you are gaining or losing if you are not looking at your life closely; not through someone else’s eyes, but through your own eyes.

Last few years, I have been trying to consciously live in the moment and slowly it has become my habit. If you aren't doing this, I would suggest you start taking a break atleast once a day for few minutes. Stop reading, writing, working, watching, thinking of future - stop whatever you are doing. Just relax and think of how happy or sad you are, how content you are; whatever you are running behind or busy doing, is it giving you what you really want, or is it just a fluff, just trying to please the world.

To say something like “I have no regrets” at the age of 68; if you really mean it, it’s a huge thing. And that won’t occur without you actively looking at your life every single day. Just breathe in every moment of life. You don’t want to wake up one fine morning, and say "hey! what the heck? When did this happen? Where did all the time fly by? What was I doing?"

Life is rolling even when you think you are doing absolutely nothing. And death is that constant factor which no one can escape. Our thought shouldn’t be to not die today. It should in fact be I am happy to die today. If I die today, I am not missing anything; life I have lived till date, I have lived fully, and given more time I probably will do more amazing things; but if I die today I am still content and at peace.

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