In working on this past weekend’s post – “My Week in Pins” – I came across this pin and I found it extremely inspiring and thought-provoking. So I thought I’d pass it along. Maybe it will light a fire under your caboose and encourage you to take chances, life life, and regret nothing!
There are 17 short sentences in this quote.
1. Take chances. I feel I take at least one chance a day, if not more. Some days I may not take any chances, but there are other days when I take several chances. I take chances on friendships, on love, and on careers/jobs, just to name a few. I also took a major chance on starting this blog, which I think is turning out to be a great opportunity for me to connect with people across the US and around the world!
2. Tell the truth. I’ve always been told that it’s easier to get over the truth than it is a lie, which I totally agree with. I’ve even shared that bit of knowledge with my nieces so they won’t try to lie to their parents and think that they can get away with it. A lie will always find you out, I tell them. So here’s a bit of truth… I didn’t know how to take a person’s blood pressure the old-fashioned way until Saturday evening and I am still not completely confident that I’m doing it right.
3. Date someone totally wrong for you. Been there, done that – on more than one occasion! But you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your true prince!
4. Say no. You’ve got to be able to say no, otherwise you’ll be taken advantage of at every turn. For the opposite of this bullet-point, watch Jim Carrey in Yes Man.
5. Spend all your cash. I did this on a frequent basis during college and during the first couple of years after college when I worked as a news reporter for a local newspaper. I knew how to budget, but when everyone else wanted to go out to eat, I would almost feel obligated to go whether I could afford it or not. Now my husband and I get an allowance every two weeks, but I don’t mind spending all my cash especially if I can find a good bargain at a thrift store or at Forever 21!
6. Get to know someone random. I think we’ve all done this at some point or another, but how do we really know if we’ve gotten to know someone random?
7. Be random. Be someone who does something without rhyme or reason, without direction or aim! Being random could add a little oomph to your life!
8. Say I love you. Thankfully, I have plenty of reasons to say “I love you” and I have plenty of people to say these three beautiful words to, including my husband, my parents, my other family members, and my wonderful friends.
9. Sing out loud. I did just that this morning on my way to work! LMFAO’s “I’m Sexy and I Know It” came on and I sang aloud and even wiggled around in my seat trying to bust a move!
10. Laugh at stupid jokes. A patient today told me a joke: Why do you not tell blondes “knock-knock” jokes? Because they always think there’s someone at the door. I know… cheesy! Here’s another one: What do you call a vegetarian with diarrhea? Salad shooter! Now that’s funny, I don’t care who you are!
11. Cry. I’ve done plenty of crying at some movies I’ve watched recently. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and We Bought a Farm were among those tear-jerkers! Also, I get a bit misty-eyed when I think about my grandpa Lashlee (he is in hospice due to colon cancer) and my grandpa Howard (he passed away a couple of years ago due to complications from Alheimer’s disease). I remember one time I woke up in the middle of the night sobbing and almost hyperventilating because I had a dream that my dad had died. My husband called my parents for me and I talked/cried with my dad for a few minutes. After we hung up, my husband wrapped me in his arms and I fell back to sleep. That was a rough night!
12. Apologize. And be sincere when you apologize. Truly apologizing to someone not only is a humbling experience, but I think it builds character. And telling someone you’re sorry is not necessarily the same thing as apologizing.
13. Tell someone how much they mean to you. For all of you who take the time to read this post and to check out my blog and my other posts, I want to let you all know that I really do appreciate your support and am extremely thankful to all of you! Even though I don’t know most of you personally, you all mean a heck of a lot to me… and that’s coming from the bottom of my heart!
14. Tell a jerk what you think. Even though I’ve met my fair share of jerks in my life, I’m still waiting for the right opportunity to do this without flinching!
15. Laugh till your stomach hurts. I have a hearty, full laugh. I remember watching Weekend at Bernie’s when I was a teen and I just laughed and laughed. I laughed until I cried during Bridesmaids, and if you haven’t watched it yet, you must do so immediately! It’s my recommendation for a “laugh till your stomach hurts” moment!
16. Love life. I’m almost 40 and I’m at that age now where I am more appreciative of my life and the people I have in my life. I’ve had some tragedies in my life – who hasn’t, right? – but I am thankful of the people in my life and the things I’ve worked hard to get. I love my family and friends, and they bring me tremendous joy and make me really love my life.
17. Regret nothing. Several years ago, I commented so my mom about how I regretted not doing a study-abroad program during college and not rushing a sorority. I also regret not applying for internships in either magazines or in entertainment (films, movies, TV, etc.), whether that adventure took me to New York or California. But then I think if I had studied abroad, or rushed a sorority, or interned for a magazine in New York, or interned for some movie studio… would I have the life I’m living right now? Probably not. Then I take a good look at my current life and am extremely thankful that I’m here – right here, right now! So I push those old regrets out of my mind and make a conscious decision to regret nothing from this point forward.
I’d love to hear from you about your experiences with any of these 17 bullet-points!
Have a great day!