If you had only three months to live, which ten things would you do?
Nov25Written by:
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 9:46 AM 
I am so incredibly lucky to meet people who inspire me to create a better life. In the course of interviewing people for my book on grief, one of my interviewees, whose husband died from cancer, told me about a residential trip they had to Ian Gawler's health retreat. This is a place where cancer patients and their families can come to learn about meditation, diet and many other helpful things to cope with illness, recovery and death, whichever might be the most appropriate.
They also give the cancer patients this exercise that goes something like this; if you knew you only had three months to live and you would be in good health in that time, what are the ten things you want to do? Unsurprisingly most things on most people's list have little to do wih their work. Yet when you look around many people rush around in the name of work often to the detriment of their relationships, their familes, their friendships, their health, their finances and I guess you get the picture. While the list will vary depending on each individual; ask yourself the hypothetical and see which ten things you come up with.
Can we not as humans learn from other people's experiences? Must we face death ourselves to appreciate life? It seems like a high price to pay and also somewhat ironic that we cannot smell the roses until we look into the jaws of death.
What are your ten things? And what's stopping you from doing them right now?