When I have tough choices between family and career facing me, I often stop and ask myself, “If I were on my deathbed right now, what would I have liked my life to look like as I look back? What would I like to have accomplished in my life? Would I have wanted more? If so, more of what????”

“How much money do I really need? How many cars and how many toys can a person have? Or do I just really just want more love in my life? Do I want more freedom in my life? Do I just want there to be more beautiful sunsets and roses to smell?” 

We have to continually remind ourselves of what is important because we are here on Earth in this physical form for a finite period of time. Regardless of whether you believe in past lives, future lives or even whether the spirit lives on after we die, we DO know for a fact that the human body does not last forever. 

If you are familiar with the Charles Dickens legendary “A Christmas Carol” novel, you might remember the “Ghost of Christmas Future” coming to visit Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge was known to be a miserable and cruel man. The ghost takes him on a journey into his future and shows him his funeral with nobody in attendance… and he hears people saying nasty things about him. Scrooge is filled with remorse and regret as he watches this scene play out. He wishes he would have lived a different life.

Then, he awakens from his dream and it’s Christmas morning and he realizes that NONE of this has come to pass… yet! He is filled with JOY as he realizes that he DOES NOT HAVE TO BE WHO HAS HAS BEEN! He has choices to make and can mend relationships starting RIGHT NOW… that will determine the outcome of his life! He chooses to be kind, generous and loving!

Since the things you imagine while in hypnosis are as real as life, as a Certified Hypnotherapist, I can take you on a journey into the future like this that will be a real eye-opener! You can also do a variation of this exercise yourself at home, so take a moment and give yourself this gift:

Lie back, take a few big deep breaths and make yourself as comfortable as possible. Imagine you’ve lived a long life and now… you are old and in bed and it’s nearing the time to transition to “the other side.” What do you wish you would have done more of? Do you wish you would have worked harder? Made more money? Do you wish you would have had more material things? Bigger house, fancier car?

Or… Do you wish you would have mended relationships with people you love? Spent more time with family? Do you even remember what that argument was about that started that rift with someone you have distanced yourself from? Do you wish you could have a life do-over to do things differently?

I’m guessing that relationships will seem more important than material things at this juncture.

When we do this exercise we can usually feel deep regrets for important relationship opportunities missed as we look back from our imagined futures… 

BUT.. Guess what? You are here, you are alive and you have years ahead of you to accomplish what is important!! Now, don’t you feel grateful for all that you have now and the chance to make it right??:)

Please make a commitment to yourself to never squander another moment of life! THIS IS YOUR WAKE-UP CALL!!

Jayne Goldman, MBA, C.Ht., Founder and Principal of Best Life Hypnotherapy in Los Angeles, is a Certified Hypnotherapist and NLP Master NLP Practitioner and Coach.