Interesting replies everyone. I do appreciate everyone jumping on here with their thoughts.
For myself, I am not sure what I would have done differently, but it has been on my mind a lot as far as my future goes.
I almost passed away 5 or 6 times this year and have spent from February until June in the hospital and keep trying to think about the whole living with no regrets type mindset. The difficult part seems to be balancing taking the risk on a passion that has no guarantee or taking the safe bet but probably not being satisfied even if you were successful at the safe endeavor.
Everyone always lives like tomorrow is guaranteed, yet it is not. Sort of makes you think about your day to day life. How much of your day is spent doing things that REALLY matter and that REALLY fulfill you?
Sorry to get philosophical, but I was 28 earlier this year laying in the hospital bed learning that I had been clinically dead, only to have to same thing happen several more times. Really teaches you about your priorities, then you start dreaming of all of the new ways you plan on living, then "real" life kicks in, which in our society it seems to be against the grain to be anything but a consumer and strive to keep up with the Jones'. Even psychology tells us that we are actually happier if we just know that we are doing a little better financially than the guy next to us. Crazy isn't it? In reality you feel better the more you do for others but yet society has taught us to be greedy and strive for the most we can accumulate in our own lives. This should be counter-intuitive because intellectually we know that we can't take any THING to the grave with us, but I guess that is the way the economy really works.
Has anyone figured out the perfect balance of enjoying life in a balanced way (no regrets) while still surviving economically?
Sorry, it is "deep thought" hour for me and it has been one hell of a year, so I am just finding some places to ramble and get feedback.