Do we HAVE to get older???

If there was no such thing as time, there would be no aging. Why do we have time? The answer, from a spiritual viewpoint, is that time, forces us to grow, to sift the wheat from the chaff in our lives, so that ultimately, both we and the cosmic forces hope, we do the important things in life (for a discussion see "The Course in Miracles"). Without time, we would perennially act as youth does, with the sense of invulnerability, with unlimited time to accomplish whatever we want. But with the clock ticking, we have to get to what is important. Or we will never get it done.

For some people, the most important thing is family life, sharing their children's lives, taking care of grandchildren. For others it is their relationships with friends and relatives. For others, it is enjoying the moment. For others it may be professional accomplishment. Or it may be a mixture of things, as it is for me. But without time, I am not sure we would converge on what is important. And even with time, some people fail to embrace that which is most important to them before they die.  

The Beginning and The End

I am wondering, what is important in my life? I have many capabilities and opportunities, and I'm wondering, what should I do? I am retired and could just watch TV all day if I wanted, but that would be boring and a waste of my life. Of all the possible activities, which are the ones that I would do well to select?

My criteria is, imagine when I am lying on my deathbed, and I say something like "I wish I had done blank blank." That's what I want to be doing now. So that on my deathbed, I will say, "I am so glad I did blank blank. It's exactly what I wanted to do."

The question I ask myself is "how will I know what those things are BEFORE I am lying on my deathbed?" If I can answer that question, then I know what to do with my life. I know where to spend my energy. That will give me the direction I seek so that I don't waste the years of my life that remain.