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I do my best worrying between 3:45AM and 4:30AM. My digital clock is easy on the eyes - soft blue numbers that precisely change every 60 seconds. As someone who rises at 5:30AM, I usually debate the question, “ Should I get up or try to go back to sleep.” Of course, the latter is almost never feasible.
It’s amazing how many topics I can cover in just 45 minutes. What happens if ###### wins the election? How close are we to a market correction? At age 63, I now worry about my health. I always worry about my kids. Why do I work ridiculous hours? Is it passion for the job and love of people? Or, is it fear of failure and financial insecurity? It’s time to change the oil in my car. Will I remember to put that on my “To Do” list in the morning? When was the last time I bought flowers for my wife? By the way, how dare she sleep so peacefully next to me while I lay here in a state of distress!
My late Uncle Joe Sullivan was a Priest at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Greenwich, Connecticut. Part of his pastoral responsibilities was to visit people who were dying at home under hospice care. While in my early twenties, I asked him one evening over dinner at a local restaurant, “What do dying people talk about, Uncle Joe?” After a long pause, he responded, “Their regrets.” He continued, “It’s not what they did. Rather, it’s what they didn’t do.” He often heard parents say, “ I wish I had spent more time with my children when they were young.” Many said, “I should have lived life more openly, and expressed my feelings.” Others said they should have invested more time developing their friendships. Finally, some said they would have taken more risks, and availed themselves of greater opportunities.
My Uncle Joe talked about the irony of those conversations. This was Greenwich, Connecticut, one of America’s wealthiest communities. He was sitting bedside with people who lived in multi-million dollar mansions. They were former Wall Street investment bankers, senior partners at prestigious law firms, and media moguls. They drove high-end cars and took luxurious vacations. The privilege of occupational success and personal wealth, in retrospect, didn’t mitigate their regrets. Conversely, they were the leading cause!
One of my all-time favorite movies is Shawshank Redemption, starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. There are so many tender moments in Andy Dufresne’s and Ellis “Red” Redding’s friendship, but one in particular, and that’s when Andy (played by Robbins) says to Red (played by Freeman), “You know, Red, you either get busy living, or get busy dying.”
Too many of us are driving through life in the fast lane. I’m one of them. More importantly, we’re not seeing the beauty along the way. Maybe it’s time to slow down, and pay more attention to what’s really important in life.
Oct 21, 2024
Life's Priorities
It’s amazing how many topics I can cover in just 45 minutes. What happens if ###### wins the election? How close are we to a market correction? At age 63, I now worry about my health. I always worry about my kids. Why do I work ridiculous hours? Is it passion for the job and love of people? Or, is it fear of failure and financial insecurity? It’s time to change the oil in my car. Will I remember to put that on my “To Do” list in the morning? When was the last time I bought flowers for my wife? By the way, how dare she sleep so peacefully next to me while I lay here in a state of distress!
My late Uncle Joe Sullivan was a Priest at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Greenwich, Connecticut. Part of his pastoral responsibilities was to visit people who were dying at home under hospice care. While in my early twenties, I asked him one evening over dinner at a local restaurant, “What do dying people talk about, Uncle Joe?” After a long pause, he responded, “Their regrets.” He continued, “It’s not what they did. Rather, it’s what they didn’t do.” He often heard parents say, “ I wish I had spent more time with my children when they were young.” Many said, “I should have lived life more openly, and expressed my feelings.” Others said they should have invested more time developing their friendships. Finally, some said they would have taken more risks, and availed themselves of greater opportunities.
My Uncle Joe talked about the irony of those conversations. This was Greenwich, Connecticut, one of America’s wealthiest communities. He was sitting bedside with people who lived in multi-million dollar mansions. They were former Wall Street investment bankers, senior partners at prestigious law firms, and media moguls. They drove high-end cars and took luxurious vacations. The privilege of occupational success and personal wealth, in retrospect, didn’t mitigate their regrets. Conversely, they were the leading cause!
One of my all-time favorite movies is Shawshank Redemption, starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. There are so many tender moments in Andy Dufresne’s and Ellis “Red” Redding’s friendship, but one in particular, and that’s when Andy (played by Robbins) says to Red (played by Freeman), “You know, Red, you either get busy living, or get busy dying.”
Too many of us are driving through life in the fast lane. I’m one of them. More importantly, we’re not seeing the beauty along the way. Maybe it’s time to slow down, and pay more attention to what’s really important in life.
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