Figuring Out What is Most Important to You.

In his book, The Last Day of My Life, Jim Moret, journalist and Chief Correspondant for Inside Edition, explains how to regain a sense of hope during troubled times.

CommitmentNow.com:  You wrote The Last Day of My Life in response to the provocative question, “What would I do on the last day of my life?”  What events lead you to ask that question and, ultimately, to write this book?

Jim Moret:  After I left CNN, it took me almost two years to land another full-time job and I took on massive debt, relying on the equity in my home to stay afloat. In addition, I took out a sub-prime loan. Ironically, years after my career was back on track and I was once again successful, that fuse on the financial time bomb I had lit years earlier was about to go off. I began to think I was worth more dead than alive, given that I had a $3 Million life insurance policy.

One day, after returning from a story, I was driving on a narrow, desolate, windy road in the hills above Malibu when I had a dark thought: “This would be the perfect place to drive over the edge. It would look like an accident and my family would collect the insurance money. It would be perfect.” Almost immediately I stopped my car, instantly realizing that things would not be perfect at all. I clearly visualized the faces of my three children and my wife and the pain my death would cause them. At the same moment, I wondered what if this was in fact the last day of my life? What would I value most? That was the genesis for this journey of self-discovery.

CommitmentNow.com:  You state in your book that you don’t believe in accidents.  What do you mean by that?

Jim:  While I was writing the book, there were certain coincidences, which I do not think were really coincidences at all. When I was focusing on my friend Josh, who died roughly fifteen years earlier, my wife discovered the last note that we had written to Josh and a similar note our then eight year old daughter had written to honor her “uncle” Josh. Both of those notes reminded me of the precious gifts of love and friendship Josh gave to me and my family and enabled me to better tell his story. Throughout the book, I recounted several such events that convinced me that there are no accidents.

CommitmentNow.com:  What is a “gratitude list” and why should each of us prepare one?

Jim:  Every day I look in the mirror and say out loud those things for which I am grateful:

The opportunities I have been given, our three beautiful children and my loving wife, the fact that all of our parents are still alive and healthy. It is far too easy to take things for granted. Last year, our son battled a debilitating nerve injury in his foot and after six horrible weeks, he was miraculously cured. In early January, Matthew had a complete relapse and he is once again in extreme pain and unable to walk, or to go to school. Even for that one year, I allowed myself to take his health for granted. I shall never do so again.

CommitmentNow.com:  How does asking ourselves “what would I do on the last day of my life?” help us determine what is really important to us?

Jim:  I think that too many of us place value on the number on our bank statement, when in fact, our true value is through the people we touch and who touch us, the kind of person we are and the way we choose to live our lives. The old expression – you can’t take it with you is a reminder that the material possessions stay behind, but the lasting impact we have on one another is through our actions and our relationships.

CommitmentNow.com:  Why are heart-felt apologies so important?

Jim:  Who hasn’t hurt another person, either on purpose or inadvertently? Doing nothing is basically choosing to allow that hurt to continue. Like forgiveness, the act of apology can be liberating and cleansing. It was for me. In a way, I felt like I was holding my breath for so much of my life and the acts of apology and forgiveness was like exhaling for the first time in years. It was liberating. I honestly believe that it is never too late to offer a genuine apology -  the act of expressing remorse or sorrow, not only for one’s actions but for the hurt we have caused. It is not done to absolve yourself of guilt, but rather to say to the other person YOUR feelings matter to me and I am sorry for hurting you.

CommitmentNow.com:  Do people have to hit rock bottom to start appreciating what they have?

Jim:  I think that those moments of hitting bottom allow real epiphanies, real moments of change. We often hear about such moments with drug addicts and alcoholics. Similar revelations can occur when we have fallen into deep despair and fear that there is no way out. In reality, my own financial situation is still dire, but my PERSPECTIVE is now completely different. I cannot control the challenges that may occur in my live but I can control how I choose to react to those challenges. Often when we hit rock bottom, you begin to realize what you actually have to be grateful for, but perhaps did not fully recognize the blessings in front of you.

It was at that moment when I was almost willing to give up on everything, including on life itself, I realized those blessings that I already had in my life. Even though my wife and children were not with me in the car that day, they were in spirit and they actually saved my life.

CommitmentNow:  What do you mean when you advise reader to “move with direction or lose your direction”?

Jim:  I think each of us needs to take responsibility for our actions. Have you made mistakes? Of course you have. Everyone has. But you need to move with a distinct purpose or you will expend all your energies in an aimless fashion. That does not mean that you do not need to correct your course every once in a while, but you need a focus, you need a destination, you need a goal – both short term and long term. Moving with direction can involve simple baby steps or giant leaps, but without a map, and a specific destination, you will never really know where you are going and you will never have a plan for how to achieve your ultimate goals in life.

Another part of my daily mantra is what I call the 10 “C’s”
Reciting this list aloud each day inspires me and enables me to face each day’s challenges and adventures:

Calm, Cool, Connected, Compassionate, Charming, Creative, Comical, Curious, Confident, Centered.

You may choose your own words, make up your own list of words that enable you to greet each day with a positive attitude.

CommitmentNow.com:  What would you like readers to get out of this book?

Jim:  I wrote this book as a journal to myself. It was a cathartic experience that enabled me to make it through the darkest days of my life and find my way back into the light. I not only chose to live, but I chose how I would live. This is not a how-to book, but if you notice, my picture is not on the cover, front or back. That is because even though the book is filled with my stories, many are really universal experiences that many of us share and I hope that the reader will see themselves in many of these chapters. So many people today feel a sense of hopelessness and despair – worried about losing their jobs, their homes, their retirement savings. I offer this as a group of stories to inspire and empower and offer a sense of hope – letting people know that they are not alone and each of us has the power to choose how to live.

JIM MORET has been a journalist for over two decades and is currently Chief Correspondent for Inside Edition. During his prolific career, he has served as coanchor of the long-running Showbiz Today, co-anchor of CNN’s main newscast, The World Today, , anchor of CNN’s NewsNight, and recent guest anchor of Larry King Live.

Click here to purchase The Last Day of My Life.