Living Life With NO REGRETS! ~Texas Homesteader~

by Texas Homesteader ~

Most mornings RancherMan & I engage in what I consider to be an intense conversation about any number of hot-button social topics.

In the past these topics have included religion, law, politics, elections, etc. (groan…)

Thankfully most of the other’s thoughts are met with an energetic nod and the words “Exactly!”.

So we’re typically on the same page but WHEW! Intensity sometimes reigns at during these conversations!

But a recent topic? Life’s regrets.

I’ve been reading lots lately about how to make sure you’re living your life so that when you come to the end of your life you have no regrets. But it seems I have no such regrets!

None? Really? Hummm…

Life With No Regrets!

Usually the sentiment of living life without regret is implying that you must do more than you’re doing now in order for your life to be considered ‘well lived‘.

Of course in some cases that may be true.

If you have hard feelings toward friends or family that have festered for weeks, or years (or YIKES – decades) you definitely need to make some changes in your life so you’ll have no regrets.

Or if you always wished to travel to an exotic location, dreamed of it, longed for it, yearned for it – yeah, make some changes.

And if it always bothered you that you never attained a much-desired level of education or professional certification – you should totally go for it.

Analyzing My Own Life

But here I am with no regrets.

Really??

I’ve been examining my heart lately over this. I mean, c’mon – NO regrets?? NONE? Perhaps I’m just not thinking hard enough. Maybe I should dig deeper.

Do those whom I love know that I love them? Well yeah, I’m very vocal to my family & friends about my feelings for them. I try to make sure those things that count – my relationships – are placed in high priority before other things in my life.

Of course it’s well known that sometimes life gets in the way. So I try to be very aware that although there are chores and demands that need to be taken care of, I always try to make time for those in my life whom I love through personal visits, phone calls, fun outings, lunches, loving messages, etc.

When It’s Too Late To Say ‘I LOVE YOU’?

What about regrets of not telling someone how you feel before they’re gone forever? Let’s take my feelings for my grandmother for instance – she was a powerful driving force in my life.

Although she lived in another state I made every effort to visit her often. I sat down with her and told her often how much she had influenced my life. How much I’d learned from her & how deeply I loved her.

Even as dementia began taking her memories, I wrote it all down and hung those heart-felt thoughts on her walls.

They were there for her every day so she would see and remember. I reminded her often that she was loved.

When she passed I knew in my heart that I’d left nothing unsaid. She knew how I felt. There were no regrets.

Professional Regrets?

What about my profession? Well I worked for 21 years at an international trade association specializing in fire protection. That career took me from a part-time bookkeeper all the way up to a Director of the Association.

Although I’d absolutely loved working there for over 20 years, that last year took a negative turn in staff & corporate-ladder-climbing greed.

No longer fulfilled I longed for a different path, to make a change. Those feelings (and RancherMan’s staunch support) prompted me to make that leap of faith & change professions.

I left corporate employment there over ten years ago and began walking down the Homesteading path. Now I live & work right here in a place that speaks to my heart.

What a dream come true!!

Yes there are monetary sacrifices to be made because of that change. But they pale in comparison to the beauty of this land which surrounds me.

Oh, and the empowerment of making my own working decisions. And the blissfulness of working side-by-side with my handsome RancherMan

Every. Single. DAY!

Loving A Worthwhile Life

The thing is: although no life is without its trials, I don’t feel the need to do something daring like skydiving or drag racing to make my life feel ‘worthwhile‘.

Excitement to me is the birth of a new calf, or that first spring flower to peek out its colors. Or maybe strolling hand-in-hand to the pond with my Love to do a little fishing.

My heart is touched and my life sweetened by spending time with those whom I love. And sharing my days with my true soulmate.

I’m able to spend my time for the benefit of those in my community and quietly going about the natural rhythm of my workdays in ways that make sense to me – not some invisible corporate head.

To me, THAT’S life well lived!

Disappointments Are Not Regrets

It’s not that I haven’t had things go differently than I thought or experienced tiny disappointments along the way just like everyone else.

But those daunting could’ve / should’ve / would’ve regrets in my life are nowhere to be found. I think I’ve lived so far in a way that shows love to those whom I love. And I’ve lived an honest, meaningful, hard-working life that I’m proud of.

And the bottom line is that If I can look in the mirror and be proud of the reflection I see staring back at me, well that’s a life well lived!

~TxH~

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2 thoughts on “Living Life With NO REGRETS!”

Joe at

WOW! What an incredible story. Amazingly I live that same wonderful life. It’s a wonderful feeling!

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1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  It’s easy for any of us to get swept up into the day-to-day of life, Joe. But I think we all could benefit from taking a step back and assessing what’s REALLY important in or lives and making time for those things. I heard a nugget of wisdom years ago: “There’s always time for things you put first”. ~TxH~
  
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~Texas Homesteader~

Working To Provide For Ourselves On Our Texas Homestead

Living Life With NO REGRETS!