We’ve all heard the question, “What would you do with your life if you were told that you only had one year left to live?”  How about one month, one week, one day or one hour? 

If I was sitting in the doctor’s office and he told me that I only had a certain amount of time left to live I’d probably cry.  A lot of the things that I want to do in my life are long term goals.  They are things which I would need to prepare myself in order to accomplish.  Knowing that I only have a short time left on Earth would eliminate many of those goals from my list.

“You Have One Year Left to Live”

After my initial emotional breakdown I imagine myself working to achieve as much as possible.  I would likely quit my job because I couldn’t see spending my last few precious moments on Earth working unless I was doing something which I absolutely love to do.

The first thing I would do is research my family history and learn more about my ancestry.  I do not know much about my lineage and that has always been something which I want to learn more about.  Once I have been able to determine where my family name comes from I would travel to that area in Norway.  Hopefully during my visit I would be able to connect with some people who share a common ancestor.

After finding my roots I would spend as much time as I could traveling and seeing the things that I’ve always wanted to see like the pyramids in Egypt, Stonehenge and The Great Wall.  I’d want all of my closest friends along with me during my travels.

“You Have One Month Left to Live”

Having one month left to live would put a sense of urgency in my travels.  I would choose one or two places that I absolutely would want to go.  It would be hard for me to choose only one or two places, but my dream vacation spot has always been Bora Bora in the French Polynesian Islands.  I would travel there with my girlfriend and share the last moments of my life with her in the most beautiful place on the planet.

“You Have One Week Left to Live”

If my time was limited to one week of life I would abandon all of my personal goals and instead focus my attention on being with loved ones.  I see myself spending quiet time just talking and enjoying the moment of having them in my life.  I would go out and have some fun, maybe going to a concert or something where we could get lost in the moment and enjoy our lives living in the here and now. 

“You Have One Day Left to Live”

If I had one day left to live I would spend that time with my girlfriend.  I see our time together being spent in the outdoors close to nature, away from everything and everyone.  This way we wouldn’t be distracted by the daily buzz of life as usual and could focus on one another entirely.

“You Have One Hour Left to Live”

One hour doesn’t allow much time to spend with people whom are important to me, so instead of trying to fit everyone into a last hour rush, I would write a letter to my loved ones detailing how important they are to me and how much happiness they brought to my life.  Doing this would allow me a chance to offer closure for the people close to me and also for myself, knowing that everyone in my life knows that I love them.

This activity is meant to show people what is important in their lives.  When you know what you value it is easier to focus your attention on working towards these goals.  For me, I am passionate about traveling.  My family and friends are the most important things in my life and while I have many goals, if I were given only a limited amount of time, family and friends would be priority over any personal goals I may have.

What would you do if you were told that you only had one month left to live?