Time's Running Out! Have You Accomplished Everything You Want in Your Life?

Recently I have been to a few funerals. They were quite sad and caused me to take a look at my life, review my goals and have more of an urgency to accomplish my goals before its too late. These people were living valuable lives that were cut short unexpectedly.

Here are two examples:

Example 1:

A young man named Nathan, aged 23, who signed up for the military at 19 and had three weeks left before discharge. He was the only child of a homemaker mother and a father who is a 30 year veteran of the National Guard. The young man had flown his girlfriend, the love of his life as she was later described, down to where he was stationed just a few weeks ago and presented her with a beautiful diamond ring. He asked her to marry him. She joyfully accepted his proposal and returned home to start planning the wedding. On a Saturday night a few weeks later, he and a few soldier friends were hanging out. He was cleaning his gun, not remembering it was loaded, and as the gun went off in his hands, he died instantly. That's it...end of story. He is no longer with us on this earth.

Example 2:

A minister named Greg, aged 52 was with his family on vacation at the beach in South Carolina. He was a vibrant member of his community, loved God and rock and roll. He loved his wife and had a very good rapport with his church and his children and their friends. As he was wading in the water one afternoon last week, he suddenly went underneath the waves due to a strong undertow. He was pulled out of the water by his son and a bystander on the beach. He was rushed to the hospital. At the hospital, he had a heart attack and was put on life support. The next day the family was told there was no brain activity. The family made the decision that he be taken off life support, and he died a short time later. And he's gone from his family and friends now.

These are two real examples of people I knew that have died within the past two weeks. They had no warning. They had no time to run out and complete the things on their bucket list. I have been wondering about this all week. What if I were to die unexpectedly? Would I have accomplished all I had planned on in my lifetime? No, definitely not. But three years ago, when I turned 50, I had an epiphany and realized that I am not going to live forever. And I have seriously begun to tackle all my goals and make that bucket list.

How about you? If you were to die suddenly, would you have accomplished everything on your bucket list? Are there things you still want to do or experience in your lifetime? As they say, "There's no time like the present."

Have you ever wanted to...

• Take a cruise?
• Go to Alaska?
• Go to Hawaii?
• Go backpacking through Europe?
• Volunteer for the Peace Corps?
• Become an entrepreneur?
• Write a novel?
• Buy an RV and travel through the United States?
• Start a Bed and Breakfast Inn?
• Go skydiving?
• Buy a boat?
• Go hang-gliding?
• Take a ride in a hot air balloon?
• Buy a vacation home?

Well, what are you waiting for? If you don't take the initiative to do it now, you may not ever have the chance. If someone asks you why you decided to jump from an airplane or travel the US in an RV...tell them Greg and Nathan sent you! And remember to enjoy your life and your friends and family while you can.

What are some of the things you have always wanted to do and haven't done yet? Please feel free to leave them in the comment section below.