Give yourself permission to do the things you would one day regret not doing.
Be able to look back and say “those were good days.” Those days are now. Don’t cheat yourself out of the gift.
Watch 15 Ways To Live With No Regrets HERE or read the transcript below.
1. Say Yes
The hockey legend Wayne Gretsky said “You miss every shot you don’t take” and the same is true for opportunities. Every opportunity you turn down is one you miss. Guaranteed.
You don’t want to get to the end of your life and say “I wish I would have.” You are going to be so disappointed if you miss out on opportunities because you were too heavy, too busy, too afraid of what everyone else thought. It’s the #1 regret at the end of a person’s life … all they didn’t do.
But you and I have the most remarkable opportunity in front of us. We have life and we have the clarity to see opportunities. Now we just need the courage to grab them. We need the courage to say YES!
Think about all the best things in your life. They came in the form of an opportunity. Imagine if you would have said no. Imagine how many more you can say yes to and live even more.
My rockstar marriage began with an opportunity to date the new boy in school at age 15. Geeze, I’m glad I said yes.
Adopting our girls came from an opportunity to volunteer at an orphanage. I’m glad I said yes.
My dream career of motivational speaking started with an opportunity to speak as a stroke survivor at a local meeting. I’m glad I said yes.
My son, well he came from an opportunity to hop in a hot tub with my husband. Really glad I said yes.
A boring life is the result of missed opportunities and too many “nos”. Say yes to life and life will respond with a resounding, big, beautiful YES to you.
2. Take risks.
Every so often, let your spirit of adventure triumph over your good sense. Nothing ventured, noting gained. Go venture.
It’s often those moments in life where danger was a true threat, when our hearts were racing, where the risk took our breath away that we remember most. To live with no regrets, take a few risks. Sometimes all we need is 20 seconds of insane courage.
When I think of risk, I immediately think of a hike which nearly killed about 20 of us. Several of those people are right here in mentoring and will forever remember that hike as one of the most exciting and rewarding memories in their life as well.
Let me set the stage. The Smokin’ Hot Mama Club was in it’s beginning stages and the women of El Paso, TX were still strangers. So of course I believe the best way to get women to bond is to have them hike a very tall mountain together and take jumping photos at the top. Sounds like a great idea, don’t you agree?
There were 2 trails leading up the mountain. One trail went to the left and appeared to be a gradual incline. The trail on the right appeared much more rugged. Because we had first time hikers with us (and I mean true FIRST TIME hikers, absolute virgins on a mountain) we chose the trail on the left. Which quickly turned to sheer mountain climbing on our hands and knees.
I stopped several times and begged God to protect these women as we continued to climb up, because climbing down wasn’t an option, we would surely fall to our death. Okay, I might exaggerate just a bit, but we would have at least fallen to a lawsuit and I would have lost. The club would have ended before BIG Life was even born.
We got to the top of that mountain and cried. We hugged, we took photos, then we took the other trail down!
Want to know why Laura Mitchell and Karen Alaniz and I are so close? It’s because we took a huge risk together and clung to each other for life. And that’s a hike none of us will ever forget or regret. When is the last time you took a risk?
3. Forget the Odds
Never let the odds keep you from doing what you were meant to do with your life. Stop calculating probabilities, even if the chances are one in a million, “one” is all you need to win.
I’m just a country girl without a college degree. All I have is a clear vision of what I know I’m meant to do. Now try to stop me!
That thing that you want to do with your life. You should do it.
There’s a BIG Life you’re supposed to be living. Fight for it!
One in a million odds. All you need is one.
4. Never resist a generous impulse
If you hesitate, you’ll talk yourself out of being a blessing. Don’t wait. Give generously and joyously.
Compliments, tips, gifts. Give. Give often. You’ll never regret being generous. When you feel the impulse, do it.
5. Make others feel important.
Everyone wears an invisible sign that reads “Notice me. Make me feel important.”
Look people in the eye, ask them questions then listen. And girls, this starts right in our own homes. Does your family know they are important to you? Have you been noticing them?
6. Celebrate everything
Make your life a big ol’ celebration of all that is right and good. Never turn down an opportunity to let out a big “woo-hooo”.
I live on the 7th hole of a golf course. Every day I hear the golfers in my backyard. Most seem so darn angry and miserable while they’re golfing. I hear the whack of the ball quickly followed by the F Bomb. I’ve been known to step out on my back deck and scold them. However, there is the occasional golfer who lets out a “wooo-hoooo” of celebration and I can’t help but get excited for him. I’m cheering him on, hoping that ball rolls right into the hole.
I wonder if God is the same way. He listens to us as we go throughout our day. Disappointed by our complaining and moaning, but absolutely delighted by our celebrations. And unlike me, when God wishes for your ball to go into the hole, it probably will!
I hope to make it impossible for God not to join in my celebration of everything good and right in my life. Things have a way of getting even better!
7. Slow down.
Don’t miss it. Gosh I regret rushing through my 20’s. I hardly remember my son being a toddler because I was in such a rush to have a successful career and perfect body.
If you want to live a life of no regrets, slow down and soak all this in. God gave you 5 senses to enjoy life. Slow down and use your sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell.
8. Give your best.
There’s nothing like that good tired feeling at the end of a day where you gave your absolute best. A day where you go the extra mile. A day where you hang on just one minute longer than you think you can. You’ll know you gave it your all. There’s no regret in that. Ever.
9. Enjoy what you have now.
If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, and a roof over your head, you are richer than 75% of the world.
If you have any amount of money in the bank, money in your purse, and some spare change in your house, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
You are wildly rich and ridiculously blessed. Too blessed to be stressed.
Stop saving the good stuff. Die wearing your fancy panties. If you have it, use it, enjoy it. Now. Today. What a shame it would be to die with your favorite perfume still in the bottle, your favorite candle unburned, your best dishes still in the box. Oh heck no sister! I’m wearing out my good stuff while I’m living.
10. Never hold grudges.
Have a short term memory of offenses and move on quickly. When you refuse to relive the hurt, the pain has no option but to move on. Like a helium balloon, just let them go.
Over the past 5 years, I’ve had to lovingly push a few girls right on out of this club because they simply weren’t a fit for the encouraging, positive environment we have here. But the beautiful thing is, I couldn’t tell you the details on what happened or what they did. None of them. I’ve let it go so it no longer has a negative effect on me.
The grudges you hold have a death grip on you, not the person who hurt you.
11. Participate in your life.
The sidelines are breeding grounds for regret. You weren’t given this life to just watch it pass. You weren’t given legs to sit on the bench.
Get up, get out, and get going. Participate. Get worn out. Honey, when you die, let it be because you’re worn out, not because you’re rusted out.
12. Do the things you love to do as much as you can.
I’ve spent the past 5 years of my life really discovering the things I love to do. But allowing myself to enjoy doing them didn’t come until later. There is a difference. You may finally know what makes you happy, but now are you doing it? Are you doing it regularly?
Or are you waiting for your birthday? Are you waiting for someone else to do it for you? Or are you giving yourself the gift of doing the things you love to do as often as you can.
Have you forgotten that you deserve to be happy? You deserve to have fun.
13. Say it while you can.
Is there something you need to say that you’ve been holding on to? Forgiveness that needs to be given, apologies that need to be said, love that needs to be shown?
I’ve seen the pain unspoken words can cause.
On the morning I had my first big stroke, there were only 2 thoughts on my mind. First was I was going to see my Jesus that day, and second was did I tell my husband that I loved him one last time. It didn’t matter how big my paycheck was, if my house was clean, or what size my jeans were … all that mattered was saying what needed to be said. Say it while you can.
14. Take care of yourself
A life cut short because of a lack of care. There’s only one person who can prevent this in your life, and that’s you.
I want to be in the stands cheering on my great-grandchildren, how about you? Then darn it, take care of yourself.
A dear friend of mine recently lost her mother at a young age largely due to cigarettes. Cigarettes.
Wake up my friend. Don’t allow bad habits to rob you of precious years of life with your family. Oh how you will regret it.
15. Be you and love you. Now.
Do you ever look back at photos taken 5 or 10 years ago and think, gosh I wish my butt still looked like that. Oh my goodness, I didn’t have any gray hairs or wrinkles either. Don’t you wish you would have enjoyed that more then? But you didn’t, did you?
Well I promise, if you’re blessed with more years of life, the day will come when you look back on today and say, “dang, I looked good!” So love yourself now! Be true to YOU.
Have you ever sat it out because of who was watching? Have you ever changed clothes because of what others would think?
If you love hot pink, wear it. If you like big earrings, put them on. If you like being barefoot, go for it. If you like to dance but know you can’t, dance on sister.
BE YOURSELF. Unapologetically.
15 Ways to Live With No Regrets
1. Say yes
2. Take risks
3. Forget the odds
4. Never resist a generous impulse
5. Make others feel important
6. Celebrate everything
7. Slow down
8. Give your best
9. Enjoy what you have now
10. Never hold grudges
11. Participate in your life
12. Do the things you love
13. Say it while you can
14. Take care of yourself
15. Be you & love you
