Too Busy to Smell the Roses

Life is Precious.

How are you making the most of your life? Are you making sure the people in your life know they matter to you?

March

Recently, I’ve been a part of a couple of events that are great reminders to cherish your life and the people you love.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of the schedules and lifestyles you created.

Last year, one of my younger sisters started having some speech problems. Her family noticed that she wasn’t the nonstop talker and gregarious person she had been. At first it appeared that she maybe had a stroke but the test results were negative. Each time we talked it was harder to understand her, and her speech was slow. More often than not, she doesn’t answer the calls now. She wasn’t getting any better so they contacted a new neurologist who thought she did have a stroke. He sent her to speech therapy to try to help but she continued to get worse. Now, she’s having problems swallowing so isn’t sleeping well or eating much. Her daughter told my daughter, you better appreciate your mom and spend as much time as possible with her because you never know when they are gone or change and can’t participate in your life like they did.

It hit me hard. My niece has 4 children. She told me this is the hardest thing she’s ever been a part of. She said, “I wish I would have her back one month ago, a few months ago and know to cherish where she was.” She said, “Today is going to be the best day she has, so I need to enjoy that.”

Shocking reality.

Then our massage therapist shared she was talking and texting with her mother-in-law about raising some chicken again for them. And boom, the next day she died.

Are you stopping and smelling the roses in your life?

I was listening to Bronnie Ware talk about living a regret free life. She talked about the most common regrets from the dying people she cared for were:

  • I wish I had let myself be happier.
  • I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
  • I wish I had the courage to express my feelings.
  • I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
  • I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

How can this message be a wake up call to begin right now to take the time to enjoy your life? Fill it with things you love, dance like nobody is watching and make that call you have been putting off.

Someday, isn’t one of the days of the week.

Beginning today, make small steps to living a life you love, not one you’ll regret.

Start smelling the roses and make the most of the life you have been given.

Share with me on Facebook what is something you regret that you haven’t done or that you put off.

dottiehager.com