7 Ways to Begin Again

Our Last 30 Years
Part 3 Begin Again Anytime™

When Jane Fonda said she wasn’t prepared for her last 30 years, something clicked in me.

Not because I fear aging or dying — I truly don’t — but because she named the one thing most of us never admit:

Regret is the real fear.

Not having enough time,
not living honestly,
not repairing what matters,
not freeing ourselves where we can.

And if we are in our last 30 years — or 20, or 15, or whatever time we have left — clarity becomes a gift.

Because at this stage, we have something younger versions of us didn’t:

Choice.

Manly Beach - Australia

This is our life chapter where we decide:

• what we carry

• what we release

• what we honor

• what we refuse to repeat

And that’s what “no regrets” really means.

Not perfection.
Not pretending the past didn’t shape us.
Not rewriting anything.

It means this:

Look honestly.
Repair what matters.
Release what doesn’t.
Live the rest on purpose.

Here’s what no-regret living can look like in our last decades:

1. Real self-forgiveness — not lip service.

Not “I did my best.”
Not “different generation.”
Actual forgiveness: seeing your mistakes clearly, without letting them define the years ahead.

2. Owning our part — without shame.

We all stayed too long.
We all avoided things.
We all hurt people, and were hurt in return.
Owning your part is adult work — and it frees us to choose differently now.

3. Apologizing where it will create peace.

Not everywhere.
Not to everyone.
To the people where an honest repair could lighten the last decades of our lives.

4. Dropping the generational excuses.

Yes, the world was different.
But this is our last 30 years.
We get to choose who we are now — not who we were raised to be.

5. Choosing peace instead of performing expectations.

Stop being who others need you to be.
Stop protecting their comfort.
Stop rehearsing outdated roles.
Peace is part of the “no regrets” plan.

6. Letting joy matter more than it ever has.

Joy is not frivolous.
Joy is a survival skill in the last decades.
Make it a priority, not a reward.

7. Not waiting anymore.

Not for permission.
Not for timing.
Not for the “right moment.”
Not for someone to validate your choices.

We don’t need to act on all seven.
Even noticing one that caught our attention is enough for today.

If not now — WHEN THE FUCK?

These are the years we get to live honestly.
To make meaning.
To choose ease.
To choose the people who feel good.
To choose the life we still want.

Beginning again isn’t about how much time is left.
It’s about using whatever time is left with clarity and intention.

We can Begin Again Anytime™. Especially now.