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Wednesday, 22 June 2016

What would you do if you thought you had 6 months to live? Where would your life take you?

What are the things that matter? When you are lying on your deathbed how will you be remembered? Is that even important? Is it more important that you have some great memories to reflect on? Will I remember my trip to Bali when I was 21 or travels in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos? What matters?
One thing I am fairly certain doesn't matter, is how hard you worked. At least not without a result for your efforts. Living a life that attempts to please others doesn't work either. Which isn't the same thing as not helping others. If I was told that I would die in 6 months time, how would I live? What would I do?
Brain storming time. I'd break the news to friends and family. I would have many celebratory dinners and drinks. I'd spend the 1st week making plans. This is one of those weird illnesses that kills you but has no other side effects. So there are no limits to what you can do prior to death. You just know the time. I'd resign from work immediately.
Just as important as what you would do with the time left is which things do you do now that you would keep doing if your time was limited. I would keep sleeping each night. I would take my wife with me for the time I have left. I would go to the footy a couple of times and see my beloved Rabbitohs. I would try to see a test match featuring the Aussies. Maybe I could find one overseas if I couldn't wait until the summer. I would spend a month in Thailand. I would get my finances in order. Sell my unit. Maybe buy my wife a home in Chiang Mai with some of the money and use the rest for my final adventure. But what would that adventure be? I think I know. I have long wanted to travel overland from London to Sydney going via Moscow and Beijing, through Vietnam , Laos, Cambodia and into Vietnam. I think I would like another visit to Bali. Maybe head up through Burma and into India and Nepal. Check out the Himalayas. Seek the inner peace of the hippie generation.
Here is the back flip. I get home from my trip and tell friends and family all about my amazing trip. And then I head off to the Doctor. He tells me that they have found a cure. I will live for another 30 years. I jump for joy and then my life has to start again. Find work? I could do it. Maybe back at the same company I left, as a casual chef. I could work in other Hospitality jobs. It wouldn't be that hard to rebuild. I would have my house in northern Thailand and I could resume my Cricket umpiring. A bit of time off might give perspective, might improve me. Whilst I travelled the world I would have continued my blog, and who knows, the jabbering of a nomad might generate enough interest to monetise this thing. I know I would have great photos to share and what could be more interesting than the thoughts that come to mind as your train winds through Russia on the Trans Siberian railroad, or as you catch a ferry on the Mekong. Life can be so much more. What holds us back. Fear of not being able to climb back to where we are now? Fear of the judgements of others? Thinking right now, those seem to be the ones. We can always find excuses to do less living. But Why? Why do we not chase bigger lives and bigger dreams? Chase your dreams not your fears. I might be brave enough to live it one day.

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