As most of you know, I turned 80 in December of 2019. A lot of people are dying in their 80’s.I read the obits every day just to make sure my name isn’t there.

I just read that Kenny Rogers died at 81 of  “Natural Causes.” One of my daughters recently asked me how I want to go and I said quickly. I may have one year left, I may have 5 or so, but probably not 10 or 15.

What do you not want to regret at the end of your life?

I figure I  have lived about 90% of my life at this point and have 10% left. In my way of thinking this is not morbid, but encouraging and challenging, as it makes me more proactive and intentional in how I live this last 10% that is a gift to me from the One who died for me, loves me and has been with me through thick and thin for 60 years.

When I’m at the end I don’t want to look back with regrets (woulda, coulda, shoulda) but with gratitude.

Bronnie Ware, an Australian nurse, cared for patients in the  last 12 years of their lives and wrote a book, The Five Regrets Of The Dying

 Here are the top five from her book:

  1. I wish I cared less of what others think  
  2. I wish I didn’t worry so much
  3. I wish I took better care of myself
  4. I wish I didn’t take life for granted  
  5. I wish I lived in the now

Here are four more from her book:

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

Do me a favor. Do yourself, your family and your business or ministry partners a favor and spend an hour thinking through these 9. Why wait to regret it? Do something about it NOW!

It’s never too late to start,  but it’s always too late to wait  Do it now as you are led by Him, empowered by Him and honor Him.