This question is for those of you who are hanging out on the periphery, lurking and observing from a distance what this whole ‘Untemplater’ thing is all about.
It’s not for those of you who are already content with everything in your life.
This is for the people who sense a potential within themselves but don’t know how to tap into it. It’s for those who have this gut feeling that change is on the horizon…
I regret not having done a damned thing with my life, never getting a degree and not knowing who I am or what I wanted until I was in my 40’s. I regret having been my parents’ mimic for most of my life and for hating myself too much for too long to have done anything about my life.
Now, I regret having wasted so much of my life before wisening up. And I regret that I may not be able to fix things in time to get the kind of lifestyle that this site advocates–I’m 50 come October, I’ve been unemployed since 2007 and I’m running out of money.
That’s what I regret.
“Follow the clues.” — I like that.
I guess a related question would be, “If you could be doing anything you want right now, what would it be?” And if the answer to that is different from what you’re actually doing, then maybe it’s time to rethink your lifestyle.
Another question to follow that one is “If not now, then when?”
Projecting forward, I will regret never getting to go to the moon. But so long as that no average private individuals never visit it in my lifetime, I will be able to live with that regret.
Beyond that, there are four things on my to-do list of life goals that I have not already accomplished. Visit my ancestral homelands of Ireland and Hungary, learn more about my Hungarian roots beyond that my great-grandfather immigrated from there during WWI, and own my own farm or greenhouse.
If I continue standing on the sidelines I will probably regret conforming to the silly ‘9 to 5’ concept of work, and I will regret all the lost experiences I could have had if I earned myself a bit more freedom.
Fortunately, I’m months away from getting the lifestyle I want. I know I won’t have these regrets. I’m too close! But it’s good to remind myself of what will happen if I stop now.
Even in the song made famous by Frank Sinatra, “My Way”, the lyrics of one line are “Regrets, I had a few, but then again, too few to mention.”
This is good question but a difficult one to answer. In some respects, it falls under the “I don’t know what I don’t know” category. Even people who are content with their lives right now, may look back and have regrets. Maybe a better question is “How can I live my life so I have no regrets…or very few.” And the answer I would give – that comes from decades of experience – is “Follow the clues”.
DrJohnDrozdal
“Follow the clues.” — I like that.
I guess a related question would be, “If you could be doing anything you want right now, what would it be?” And if the answer to that is different from what you’re actually doing, then maybe it’s time to rethink your lifestyle.
I will regret not watching Kobe Bryant play live. But I’ve come to peace with that…
Ditto. My ultimate goal is court side seats at Staples Center.
Wait. Why can’t you see Kobe play live?