The cancer came back.

That’s what my mom learned when she went for her annual mammogram. The cancer that she had been battling since 2018 had returned to her breast and lymph nodes.

Tired from the pain and the side effects of her treatment, Mom bravely decided not to treat her cancer. She was 81 years old. It was time to enjoy her remaining days.

When Mom shared her decision with her oncologist, we asked him how much time he thought Mom had left. He responded, “About a year. This is not a terminal event.”

My heart lightened. We would have another Mother’s Day together, another birthday. Probably even Thanksgiving and Christmas. Mom could make a bucket list, and we could have fun checking off the items.

You never know when you will die

That oncologist appointment was on March 15, 2022. By April 12, a mere four weeks later, Mom passed away.

Mom’s death reminded me of this painful truth and lesson: You never know when you will die.

You could die fifty years from now. You could die fifty minutes from now. We don’t know.

After Mom died, she appeared in a dream. We were at an event, and when it was over, I told Mom: “It’s time to go.”

Mom looked at me and replied, “I didn’t want to leave.”

I woke up with her words stabbing my chest, like a dagger penetrating my heart.

Mom thought she had a year. She died wishing for more time with her family. She had more fun things she wanted to do. My dream confirmed that Mom wasn’t ready to go, but she had to. It was her time.

I share this with you today because I want you to live life more fully, more Loudly, more intentionally.

I don’t want you to have any regrets when it’s your time to pass. I want you to think back and relish in all the things you did do—the risks you took, the boundaries you established, the love you gave.

I tell my kids, “The biggest regrets in life are the things you don’t do.”

Which leads me to this question:

What would you regret if you left us tomorrow?

This, of course, relates to your business, but it’s about your life, too.

Your assignment

So, I have an assignment for you. Grab a journal and at the top of the page, write: “If I don’t do these things, I will regret it on my death bed.”

Then make the list. No editing. No contemplation. Just lean in and listen to your heart, and write down what comes, no matter how crazy it is.

I’m will do the same. I’ll report back to you next week about what I wrote down.

I hope you’ll join me on this exercise.

Thank you for reading this blog post. Thank you for honoring my mom. Thank you for being in my community. I cherish you.

More resources

Here are some other resources that will help you with your marketing and mindset:

My book, That First Client, which will teach you how to create an effective marketing system that will always attract clients to your business

My book, Loud Woman, which will inspire you to get Louder in your life and business

Check out my latest blog post about marketing, networking, getting clients, and the Law of Attraction

Virtual Networkers, my global online networking organization for women entrepreneurs

Get More Clients Track, a year-long program that will teach you how the fundamentals of marketing so you’re always attracting clients

Manifest More Clients Track, a year-long program that will teach you how to use the Law of Attraction in your marketing

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