I have always loved the words to this song. I think it is an important exercise to really think about what you would do if you were told you had six months to live. It helps you to come up with what is really important to you and what is not, and to make sure you are focusing on what is important to you. When I think about what I would do, it would be this: be as healthy as possible to try to squeak out a couple more months in order to spend as much time with family and friends as possible and complete as many of My Bucket List activities as I can. That’s it. That’s what is important to me. When I thought about this, I was happy to realize that these aspects of my life have become more of a central focus for me over the past year. Kenny and I moved back to Michigan to be closer to family and friends and have spent almost every weekend with them since we’ve been back. Health has been a central focus for me for a couple years now, and a few months ago, I developed my bucket list.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from Steve Jobs on the subject:
“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.’ It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”
What would you do if you were told you had six months to live?
I also love Tim McGraw’s song. I feel in many ways my life is running parallel to yours. I have always tried to focus on health but I kicked it up a notch ~5 yrs ago when my husband found out he had prostate cancer. I went on a crusade to see what we needed to do to stay healthy. Given my history I have always tried to do what others expected of me but now we are living one of our passions. Our lifestyle right now has family and some friends shaking their heads but we are seeing such wonderful sights, memories that can’t be taken away. Making connections with people along the way has been the greatest gift I was not expecting. If I had 6 months to live I would continue to check off items on my bucket list, spend more time with family and friends, and give a helping hand to others where I could. Great post!
Oh yes, definitely lending a helping hand would be on there for me, too! (I do have volunteering and giving to charities I believe in on my bucket list). It would be so important to feel like I helped some people’s lives to be better before I leave this world. I hope your husband is okay and doing well now.
Thanks Jamie! We have positive thoughts and none of us knows how long we have, so let’s find our passion and go for it!
So true! Your advice comes at the perfect time for me
Very good