Forbes, Jessica Hagy 10/04/2012 @ 9:45AM |1,651,179 views

   *40 Things To Say Before You Die*

   Before you#re sprawled on your deathbed, there are some things
   you really have to say. They#re not complicated. They#re not
   poetry.

   They#re just short sentences with big meaning.

   I hope they get you talking.

   40 #I wonder.#

   Give yourself time to think so the time you spend doing things
   will be better spent.

   39 #Today was good.#

   If you can say it once, you can say it again. And again. And
   again.

   38 ''I believe in this.#

   A god, a plan, a company, a person, an idea#you have to put your
   faith in something.

   37 ''I#m not finished.#

   Only you get to decide when your life#s work is done.

   36 #Thank you for making this possible.#

   Because nobody does anything alone. We#re driven and supported
   and thwarted by others at every turn.

   35 #That#s enough.#

   Food. Drink. Episodes of Law & Order. Pairs of shoes. Overtime.
   Articulating your own limits is powerful.

   34 ''I can do better.#

   As soon as you say it, you#re that much closer to making it
   true.

   33 #I#m sorry.#

   But you can#t just say it; you have to mean it. Really mean it.

   32 #I survived.#

   Moments of danger are the plot points of an exciting life.

   31 #You#re amazing.#

   Let yourself be in awe of another person, and you#ll feel strong
   and weak simultaneously.

   30 #I am home.#

   Home is every adventure#s final destination and starting
   point#and we all need one to call our own.

   29 #I did my best.#

   If this is true, you did something amazing.

   28 #How can I help you?#

   Because you want people to come to your funeral, and if they
   can#t make it, at least they#ll miss you.

   27 #I#m lucky.#

   You are lucky, in a way that no one else is. Now, what are you
   going to do with your good fortune?

   26 #I want that.#

   Ask for it: that#s you get what you covet#from others and for
   yourself.

   25 #This is wrong.#

   If you never say it, you embody the statement.

   24 #I quit.#

   Not everything is worthwhile, and sometimes we don#t find that
   out until we#re in the middle of a rotten situation.

   23 #Isn#t this beautiful?#

   The more often you notice the gorgeous world around you, the
   happier you#ll be.

   22 #Congratulations.#

   Say this without jealously. Practice if you have to.

   21 #Damn, I look good.#

   You come from a long line of people who convinced others to
   sleep with them. Remember that.

   20 #I can master this.#

   The ability to learn is the foundation of every other talent.

   19 #Hold the mayo.#

   Ask for the little things on a regular basis and you#ll find
   that it#s easier to make larger demands on occasion.

   18 #This is who I am.#

   The nervous energy spent pretending to be something you#re not
   is better spent on practically anything else.

   17 #Get out.#

   It#s always harder to take back an invitation than to give one,
   but protecting yourself from personified trouble is always worth
   the effort.

   16 #That was my contribution.#

   Own what you#ve worked to create#that#s how your presence will
   be felt long after you#re gone.

   15 #I#ll try it.#

   Consider the impotence of never saying you#ll try.

   14 #Tell me more.#

   Really getting to know someone (or some topic) will help you
   better triangulate your own place in the world.

   13 #This is my favorite thing.#

   Enjoy what you love and say this as often as you can.

   12 #I earned this.#

   There#s a layer of proud ownership over everything you possess
   that wasn#t merely given to you.

   11 #I don#t care.#

   Being able to discern between what#s important and what#s
   trivial is a skill that will save your sanity and your schedule.

   10 #Your secret is safe with me.#

   Because it feels deep-down good to be trustworthy.

   9 #Eureka!#

   Being the first to know something is a delicious sensation.

   8 ''Let#s go!#

   Where you#re going often matters far less than the enthusiasm
   you have for the trip.

   7 #I trust you.#

   We all need allies, and admitting as much helps forge alliances.

   6 #I don#t know how to do this.#

   It#s better to admit it and learn than to fake it and embarrass
   yourself.

   5 ''I#m terrified.#

   Fear is an asset. It can save you from danger and alert you to
   trouble. Don#t ignore the tingles that run up and down your
   spine.

   4 #This is going to work.#

   When this is said truthfully, it#s an assertion of power.

   3 #I made a decision.#

   Autonomy transforms any activity from a chore to an act of
   destiny.

   2 #I love you.#

   We all want to say this, and we all want it said to us.

   1 #I understand.#

   More important than being right, or being important, is being
   truly aware.