If you could live your life again...

I turned 46 this month. And this birthday, I asked myself a few questions:

1. If I could start over, what would I do differently?
2. What would I not change at all?
3. What have I learnt?
4. What do I want to be five years from now, and ten, twenty…?

And I share some of the answers to #1, hoping that the exercise would inspire you as much:

I would sleep less, and read more.
I would eat less, and work out more.
I would complain less, and compliment more.
I would spend fewer weekends at work, and more at home.
I would spend more time alone with the one I love.
I would read more with my kids when they were young.
I would talk/listen to my parents more often.
I would watch less TV and fewer movies.
I would spend less on things, and more on experiences.
I would save more for travel; I would see more of this world.
I would start a foundation to educate the poor, or support such foundations.
I would write a diary of things I learnt.
I would learn languages, cooking, playing a flute, rock climbing…
I would stay in touch with more friends and more family members.
I would plan less, act more.
I would worry less, breathe more, pray more.
I realized that while I can't go back in time, I can still make many of these changes today. I can't change the past but I can change my today, and tomorrow. I have started on the list, and it feels great! What would you like to do differently with your life?

Some inspiring quotes about life and living:

"Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrow." (Pope Paul)

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." (Mahatma Gandhi)

"As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death." (George Bernard Shaw)

"As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death." (Leonardo Da Vinci)

"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time." (Mark Twain)

"Death is not the greatest of loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." (Norman Cousins)

"Have courage to live. Anyone can die." (Robert Cody)

"A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life." (Charles Darwin)

"A man whose today is the same as yesterday is as good as dead." (Imam Ali)

"Life is too short to complain." (Yours truly)