I am currently supervising student nurses in a long-term care facility.

Today was our clinical day on a large unit of beautiful elderly people. It’s an environment that I am unexpectedly finding to be conducive to the personal goal-setting process that I’m in the midst of.  I see and hear much that gives me a lot of material for reflection.

I talked with one elderly gentleman, in particular, today who sits by the nurse’s station, talks with anyone who goes by and is really very pleasant and friendly. While his strength is failing, his mind is completely intact.

Today after we had talked a bit I asked him if he had ever been married. He said he had and then became emotional when he went on to tell me that his wife had died after 50 years of marriage.

That must have left a big hole in your life, I said.

He agreed and went on to say,

Now I just sit and wait.

For what? I asked.

For the next thing. For whatever happens next.

Watching these precious elderly folks, and listening to them, makes me reflect quite a bit on what I want the end of my life to look like.  Of course, none of us really know what’s ahead and many people end up in places and situations that might have occurred only in their worst nightmares but I do think there is some wisdom in at least attempting to look ahead and envision what perhaps could be in those final years.

If we don’t, we may end up just waiting for the next thing to define the moment, the day, the week, the year for us.  We start now to live into the future as best we can.

As Stephen Covey says,

Begin with the end in mind.

In other words, what do I want the end of my life to look like and then back up from there to know what I need to be doing now to get there.  What do I wish to have accomplished?  What kind of person do I want to be known for?  What will be my legacy?

These things don’t just happen. It takes planning in our younger years and every day taking steps towards the person we want to be when we are old and at the end of life.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to have regrets at the end of my life.  I want to leave this world knowing I left it all on the field.  Every ounce of passion, every dream, every talent and gift- none taken with me to the next life.  And, I want to do all of that in a way that my family and friends know that I love them and am fiercely committed to them.  Not perfect, but just wholehearted.