I’d asked myself what I’d do with one year left to live, but I should have also asked what I’d do with 70 more years to live. Not everything can be accomplished in one year. Learning to play the violin at the level of the Boston Philharmonic probably takes some time.
I wish I had started earlier. I should have chosen goals with varying timelines and worked toward them simultaneously.
It’s become a new game. Subtract your age from a hundred (or, if you’re really ambitious, 120). Think of the social movements you could lead or be involved in, the skills you could master, the experiences you could have, the ideas you could come up with, the wisdom you could gain and pass along in that amount of time. It’s amazing.
I’ve wasted the last twenty-five years. I can’t go back in time, but I can make sure I don’t waste the next twenty-five.