Years ago, my closest friend, Patricia, ended up with stage four cancer and I knew I needed to go see her. We had become close friends when we both lived in Manhattan, and now I was more than a thousand miles away and so busy with work, that even though I called her and checked in and sent things to make her life easier, I put off going to visit her until I had a break in work. Finally, I booked a flight and hotel, and right before I left, I got word she had died. What a mistake not to put first things (time with my dear friend) ahead of other less important things that were going on in my life.
I hope you’ve never made a mistake like that, but to this day I regret not dropping everything and jumping on the first flight I could get. And I’ve made a few other mistakes regarding prioritizing values over the years, but I’m learning.
Regardless of deadlines and business priorities and others’ requests, I work hard now on being able to be spontaneous if necessary, and to remind myself of what is important. Then, when necessary, I can let everything else go and do what I know should be done. It’s the best remedy for avoiding regret.
“Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time. It is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.” Sydney J. Harris.
