If only I had the courage . . .

I’m going to tell you a cool story about an experience I had Saturday night over pizza and wings:

I asked my wife, brother, and sister-in-law an interesting question while we watched game six of the Raptors-Bucks in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

“If you could go back and do one thing you never did that might have changed the course of your life, what would that thing be for you?”

The answers were fun and revealing. No one knew for sure if that one thing would have changed the course of their life and no one regretted the course their life has taken. We’re all fulfilled and grateful for each other and our paths.

But I noticed every answer had three things in common:

1. They all began with “If I’d had the courage to . . .” or “If I had the courage, I would have . . .”
2. They all wished now they would’ve at least tried and found out what would’ve happened if they’d made the courageous choice and acted on it, even if it resulted in failure.
3. They were all decisions they wished they’d made earlier and faster because they waited too long and paid a heavier price or missed the chance forever.

I listened and was amazed how much of our lives come down to the courage to decide and the discipline to act.

Embrace the chase. Do the work.