Fwd: If You Had It to Do Over

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

This came to me in my email and I wanted to pass it along. It somehow

seemed poignant to me because we all are trying to start our lives over with

the MGB. ........Cathy Morrow........

<< IF YOU HAD IT TO DO OVER

One woman announced: " I intend to live forever! So far so

good... " But the length of our lives is not the real issue; it's

the quality and meaning that matter. Not the years in a life, but

the life in the years.

I like the spirit of Leo Buscaglia. When asked what he wanted to

be remembered for when is life was over he replied: " I want to be

remembered as somebody who lived life fully and with passion.

I've been asked to write my epitaph and I have always thought

that the perfect one for my tombstone would be, 'Here lies Leo

who died living.' "

I want to die living. And I want to be remembered as one who

lived with purpose, joy and verve. I want to spend my time

learning what goes into a whole and happy life, then building

that life the best I can.

Sociologist Tony Campolo told about a study in which fifty people

over the age of ninety were asked to reflect upon their lives.

" If you had it to do over again, " they were asked, " what would

you do differently? " There was a multiplicity of answers, but

three responses dominated. Here they are.

First, many respondents answered, " I would reflect more. " Do you

ever feel that too much time is spent in " doing, " and not enough

spent thinking about WHAT you are doing and WHY you are doing it?

Second, they said, " I would risk more. " Do you think that

important opportunities either have been or might be forfeited

because of your fear to take a necessary risk?

Finally, they said, " I would do more things that would live on

after I died. " Do you feel that you are immersed in something

bigger and more enduring than your own existence?

Reflect more. Risk more. Leave a legacy. These are what our

elders say they would do differently the second time around.

But why wait for a second time around? Every new day is a second

chance! Reflect more today -- it will reveal to you what is truly

important. Risk more today -- take a chance on making that dream

come alive. Get involved with something that makes a difference

in this world -- and a beautiful legacy is what you will leave

behind.

Like Leo Buscaglia, I want to live fully and with passion. And if

all my plans don't work out as I had hoped, I'm still betting

that I will have more fun!

-------------------- >>

Cathy in Lenoir, NC

Wanting to be on the other side

BMI 42

Patient info emailed 5/2/00

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step