While looking at drafts of posts I've written in the past and never finished or posted, I found the following from last year after Thanksgiving:
"What drives me? Regret is the biggest driver at this point, particularly after my grandfather's death.
I don't want to live life and say I didn't try my best to live the life I wanted.
While the meaning of life is different for everyone, I want to help people live more satisfying lives. People may not realize that meeting new people can help you grow. I don't want others to regret."
I never finished that post, but I realized that this was very similar to something I wrote for Coop about regret (with the help with a great friend):
Are there ever times where you just don't feel like doing what your friends are doing? There certainly are for me. Activities often ranged from watching a movie to watching sports to going out for drinks. While I like these activities once in awhile, but my interests don't always line up with my friends’. I often found myself wanting more.
Sometimes it feels like life plans are on autopilot. We do things just because it’s what we have always done in the past (just like at work!). Or it’s something we are “suppose” to enjoy. But there are so many various hobbies/interests/activities that the world has to offer that we don’t take the time to try - even when we’re interested. Life is not worth wasting on things that we are not passionate about.
"One friend with whom you have a lot in common is better than three with whom you struggle to find things to talk about." -Mindy Kaling
It's not about the number of people you hang out with but the quality of those people and how well you connect. While you may be surrounded by great people in your daily life, we understand that your interests may not always align - that’s okay! You may have additional interests you want to pursue. But instead of settling for who is already around, get out of your comfort zone and break out of your routine.
"When researchers ask the elderly what they regret about their lives, they don't often regret something they did; they regret things they didn't do. They regret not seizing opportunities. They regret hesitating. They regret being indecisive." -Decisive by Chip and Dan Heath
Don't regret. All too often we hear from people of all ages, “I wish I could do that” or “That would be fun to learn”. While there isn’t much stopping you from doing new things, it can feel daunting. Challenge yourself to do those things; it'll lead to a more satisfying life.
Note: The next few posts will be other topics that I wrote Coop but slightly edited for this blog.