I am a “quotes person.” I love quotes. Just a few words can have such a tremendous impact, sometimes shaping the way we do things. I am starting a new series called “Johnny’s Favorites: Quote #____” in which I will share some of the quotes that I admire most — some because their truths, some because of their humor, some simply because they make you stop and think. 

This first quote is authored by either Mark Twain or H. Jackson Brown, Jr. – depending on what sources you deem reliable. Twain or Brown, I thank whoever authored it, as this quote has been by my side for the last couple of decades:   

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”   

– Mark Twain or H. Jackson Brown Jr. (see Quote Investigator)

When I first read this quote in my early twenties, I instantly related to the electricity and fire behind these words, as they ran parallel to my dreams and ambitions at the time, my excitement for the world, and whatever the future may hold. Those words were my validation to leave my small rural town, take chances, explore the world, and gain the random knowledge only received by travel and the people you encounter on the way. 

It is a natural human instinct to fear the unknown, yet some of us are motivated and thrilled by it. Reading this quote for the first time in my twenties solidified my motto at the time — carpe diem: live a life with no regrets. I did not want to spend my days living a “normal” life. The worst possible thing I could do at the time was to be stagnant and stay in my comfort zone. 

As I am writing this, now in my forties, I realized that the first time I ran into this quote was almost exactly twenty years ago. I have to pause and reflect for a moment and ask myself: looking back on my last twenty years, am I more disappointed for the things I didn’t do than by the ones I did do? 

Well … let me think … 

The past twenty years have been filled with adventure and travel, heartaches and heartbreaks, mistakes and discoveries, shortcuts and detours, new loves and true love, ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, and everything in between. The most recent eight years have been spent with my fabulous wife raising two amazing kids. So, I cannot say that I am disappointed by the things I did do. 

Now, am I disappointed by the things I didn’t do in the past twenty years? Well … I haven’t gotten my scuba divers license (yet). There are plenty of places I haven’t traveled to (yet). Nevertheless, I cannot say that I am disappointed by the things I didn’t do because I just haven’t done them — yet. I suppose that is what the next twenty years are for. 

I will be keeping this quote at the forefront of my life, as I restart the twenty-year-timer (starting today – everyone reading this can hold me accountable). Twenty years from now, I will be in my sixties. I do not want to be disappointed by the things I did or didn’t do – so I will uphold my motto from twenty years ago: to continue to live a life with no regrets. Carpe diem.