Til Death Do Us Part: The Top Five Regrets of the Dying #2

Last week we started a series based on Bronnie Ware's book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departed.

The second most common regret Ware came across while caring for those in their twilight days was:

"I wish I hadn't worked so hard."

You've probably heard the cliché "No one on their deathbed wishes they had stayed longer at the office."  Clichés are there because there's a lot of truth to them. 

I once was the head of the theatre department at the school where I teach.  I was known as the drama guy.  I took a program that had floundered for a number of years and made it into one with a strong reputation and a lot of popularity.  Over the course of nearly a decade I directed mysteries, comedies, plays of Shakespeare's, and musicals. 

The trouble is: it kept me after work over and over again for months at a time.

Once we had our second daughter, I felt the tug of my Father: come home, Kurt.  There was a lot of notoriety and prestige that went with leading that program, but I don't miss it at all. 

I love that I get to come home to my wife and my kids each day.  I get to help Beth around the house.  I get to read with the kids at night.  I get to rest so I have energy to be happy for Beth. 

Again and again, Beth and I return to this choice as an object-lesson-showing us how worth it is when we choose "us" over work. 

As we have grown our video business the issue comes up again, but we endeavor, now with more wisdom, to use our time wisely so we can love our work, but still give it limits so it doesn't take away from that which is more important.