We’ve all heard that line in movies — a doctor looks up, sighs, and says,
“You have six more months to live.” -- And then, the whole movie unfolds around how everything changes — priorities, relationships, and even the meaning of life itself.
In real life, this happens too. People diagnosed with terminal illnesses — cancer or other life-threatening diseases — are often told how long they have left.
But some outlive that timeline. Some make peace with it.
And many live more fully in those months than they ever did in years before.
Now here’s the question:
What about — the “healthy” ones?
The ones not diagnosed with anything fatal (thankfully).
Do we ever pause to realise that we too have a fixed timeline — we just don’t know how long it is?
We live as if our story will go on forever.
But the truth is — it can end tomorrow.
Or in 30 years. Or 40.
And most of us only start truly living when it’s too late — when the body weakens, the mind slows, and regrets pile up quietly in our hearts.
Ask yourself —
Are you prioritizing what really matters to you?
Have you truly listened to your heart lately?
Take a moment — close your eyes — and imagine your 80-year-old self.
What would they thank you for?
And what would they regret that you never did?
This isn’t my idea, actually.
Jay Shetty once shared a meditation where you visualise your younger self and your older self — the child you once were and the elder you’ll someday be.
You ask both —
“What are you proud of?”
And,
“What breaks your heart that I stopped doing?”
It’s a simple but powerful exercise — because in those silent answers lies the truth of what you really want from life.
So maybe today, instead of waiting for someone to say “You have 6 months to live,”
let’s start living as if we do.
