I recently had AT&T U-verse installed at the home. Thus far, way better than Comcast. But last Friday after it was installed, I was checking out the new features and was flipping through the channels when Julia Stiles graced my screen.

I love Julia Stiles. Now I'll be the first to admit many think she isn't that great of an actress. I'll also acknowledge that some do not find her all that attractive. But I don't care. I am not sure what it is about her, maybe her Scandinavian-vibe (even though she isn't), but I'll watch just about anything she is in.

• 10 Things I Hate About You
• Save the Last Dance
• The Omen
• All the Bourne movies

You are probably now questioning my sexuality (which would not be valid) - as well as questioning my taste in movies (which would probably be valid).

But I had never seen the movie that was on my TV screen, so I watched it. Later I learned it was called The Prince & Me. A classic, chick-porn story of a college pre-med student who unknowingly falls in love with the Prince of Denmark. Of course. Happens all the time, right?

The movie was alright, but it was this scene that made watching the movie worth it.



What do you know now that you wish you would have known 10 years ago?

We had John Izzo on the show back in June and he talked about his new book The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die.

One thing he said that hit me really hard is that most of the people he interviewed for the book said they wish they had taken more risks in their life. Few regretted risks they took that failed, but many regretted not taking risks at all.

I have thought about this a lot over the past six months.

I usually consider myself a risk taker. I certainly have taken risks professionally. I even took perceived risks in education and travel (i.e. studying abroad in the middle east, flying immediately after 9/11, etc...). Learning to fly is a risk. Many would say my driving style is a risk.

I am less inclined to take risks when it comes to the interpersonal side of life. I am not really sure why that is.

The older I get the more I realize how much you don't get opportunity back. Cliché I know. But true nonetheless. It is one of the most depressing things I find about age. And while most of the time, I take the risk and it pays off, my mind still draws to occasions where I failed to do so. I'd give almost anything to do it over again.

Izzo and his people were right. As the proverbial clock that is life counts down, I think less about my failures and more about the risks that weren't taken - the opportunities missed. I am just hoping this realization at the beginning proves valuable by the end.