Have you ever stop to consider what is important to you in life? What do you really value? How do you want other people to see you?

Without clear answers to these questions, we can drift through life getting involved in petty squabbles and wasting the precious time we have here on earth. However, when we have a clear picture of what has meaning for us and what we want to stand for, then we have an obvious path of where we want to go.

To help you find out what is important to you, I have a couple of exercises for you to do. They are basically the same exercise only the time scale is different.

I want you to imagine that you have just been told that you only have 24 hours left to live. Try to really feel what that would like. Now look back over your life and answer the following questions.

What is that you regret doing or not doing?
What did you love most about your life?
How would other people sum up your life?
How would you sum up your life?
How would you want other people to describe you?
How would other people actually describe you?
Is there anyone you have had a falling out with that you would like to patch things up with?
What are you most proud of?
Are you completely happy with who you have been and what you have done?

Please answer these questions before you continue reading. Do you have your answers? Ok great lets continue.

Now I want you to project your self forward say 50 years and once again you only have one day to live. Over the past 50 years you have accomplished a lot and become the best you can be, don't worry about being practical, don't consider how you could afford to do the things you want to, just let you imagination go wild and pretend you can have, be do anything you desire. So looking back again answer the following questions

What is that you regret doing or not doing?
What did you love most about your life?
How would other people sum up your life?
How would you sum up your life?
How would you want other people to describe you?
How would other people describe you?
What are you most proud of?
What do you want to be remembered for?
Are you completely happy with who you have been and what you have done?

Now you should have a good idea of what really matters to you. Make of list of things that you want to do with your life.

Where do you want to go?
What do you want to accomplish?
Who do you want to be?
How do you want to really spend your time?
What contributions do you want to make with your time here?

After doing this exercise not many people would say I want to be remembered for:

* the amount I smoked

* the fact I never forgave my sister for that fight we had,

* the hours I spent in front of the tv

* my lack of energy and growing illness because I never took good care of my body

But sadly it is the way so many of us live.

Right now you have a choice, you can continue on as you have been or you can begin to create a life to be proud of. All it takes is clarity of what you want and then take action towards those things.

So make your list today and start with something small on your list. Everything you accomplish on your list will make you happier and more fulfilled. And if you keep at it then when you are lying on your death bed you will look back at your life without regret. Get excited about your life and always have something to look forward to. Then you will not be bothered by small and petty things any more, you will be too busy having the time of your life.