Isn’t it time you acted out?
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~ Mark Twain
Would you agree that we more often regret the decisions we have made not to do something than the decisions we made to do something? Think about it. What decisions have you made not to do something that would have been a memorable moment?
Here’s an example:
I occasionally go to an acting class here in Tucson. I’m not all that interested in being a professional actor, but it’s fun and helps me to be more present when I lead workshops. One week we were doing our usual warm-up exercises when a group of young teens walked through our space who were coming back from a hike. We invited them to join us, but only one of them agreed. The rest stood at the side of the class and watched. The kid that did participate had a grand time and left with a big smile on his face. I couldn’t help but wonder whether the rest of them would later think about their choice not to participate and regret it. Would they have made a different choice had they known how they would feel afterwards?
What decisions are you contemplating right now? Are you basing that decision in your own values and dreams, and making a conscious choice of yes or no ?
July 9th, 2009 at 8:19 PM
[...] in December (it seems like months ago), I wrote about acting out your dreams and values and living a life of few regrets. I’d like to share a few more [...]