What if You Only Had Six Months to Live?

Close your eyes, or turn away from the screen, and ponder that question for just 30 seconds or so. What would you do?

When I first heard this question asked of me yesterday as an exercise at a meeting, I felt really uncomfortable. I worry enough as it is, I really didn’t want to seriously consider this question. But my co-worker who was leading the exercise asked us, how we would spend our last few months. So I quickly jotted down the first three things that came to me.

Spend as much time possible with my toes in the sand
Eat cake
Watch my kids play

Most everyone in the group had some form of travel, spending time with loved ones, and doing things that can’t adversely affect our health anymore (drink more, eat more, sky diving). Then she asked why aren’t we doing those things now? What are we waiting for? Work is important, but so is play! Most of us never get an official end date, and often when people do get sick and are in their final months, they aren’t well enough to go do those things that they dreamed of. While traveling the entire world may not be financially feasible, could you be doing more to enjoy every day?

When you answered the question, did you say:

Spend more time with family (or friends)? Make old-fashioned Sunday dinners a thing again. And stick to it. Know what is going on in each others lives. Plan vacations together. Make an effort and make it a priority.
Travel to exotic places? Make cuts in your budget where it counts to free up money to do it (buy a less expensive car, stop your Starbucks habit, mow your own lawn, etc.).
Quit your job? Well, ok, not practical. But can you work less? Can you leave work at work so when you’re home, you are really in the moment? Can you stop trying to please a bunch of people who don’t really matter while sacrificing your family’s together time? Can you find a new job that you would like more?
Do something adventurous? Not a fan of skydiving? That’s ok. How about a ropes course, zip lining, driving a race car, riding a horse? All small investments to satisfy your dream.
Play more? When you take the kids to a water park, go down the slides with them!! Take out board games and spend your night in a friendly competition. Dust off your arts and crafts supplies and make something. Actually USE your swimming pool. Create, move, and BE SILLY!!
Work more? Yeah right. Just seeing if you are still paying attention.

You nelly naysayers, I don’t want to hear that it’s harder than it sounds, I’m too busy, I’ll do it later…. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. It’s just that sometimes priorities are out of whack or our time management skills could use some work. Own up to your trouble spots and fix them. When you do reach that last six months, I pray you can say with peace and sincerity, I lived.

What is on your bucket list, the thing you’ve been meaning to do, that you could complete in the next seven days? Make your plan and go do it! I would love to hear your ideas and what you do!