What would you do with the last day of your life? And once you know the answer, how would that change how you live every day from this point forward? Jim Moret, longtime correspondent for Inside Edition, has written a new book, The Last Day of My Life, where he ponders some of these big questions and encourages readers to do the same. Here, he explains how he would spend his last 24 hours, and how asking that question helped him become a better man.

Q: What prompted you to write this book?

A: I wrote this book as a personal journal. It was a cathartic experience for me while trying to get through a difficult period where I actually thought I was worth more dead than alive. At the center of my sense of hopelessness was a personal financial meltdown. Instead of ending my life, I asked myself this simple question, which took me seven months of writing to answer: What would I do if I had only 24 hours to live? The process brought me from despair to hopefulness and made me realize that my value would not be determined by a number in my bank account, but by the people and relationships in my life and the way I chose to live it. I realized that many people today are frightened and depressed -- over a loss of a job, a home or their retirement savings. While money is clearly important, we seem to have made it all important, when at its root, life has so much more to offer and we leave so much more behind. I hoped my own stories might be universal ones, offering inspiration to others.

Q: So, if you had 24 hours to live what would you do?


A: I discovered that the little things are the most important: spending time with my children, a walk with one daughter, playing guitar with my oldest daughter and cuddling my little son... simply being with my wife. Those are just some of the things I would cherish most on my last day. Aside from my family, music is the most important thing in my life, which gives me joy. It is my passion. I would spend my final hours enjoying my passions and surrounding myself with people I care about the most.

Q: Tell me about your personal mantra - how does it help?

A: My personal mantra helps me to focus and to start each day with a positive attitude. I begin by saying aloud those things for which I am most grateful: my wife and children, our health, the fact that my wife and I still have our parents, all the opportunities I have been given. Then I recite what I call my 10 Cs. They are words which empower me and give me a sense of purpose for the new day ahead: Calm, Cool, Connected, Compassionate, Charming, Creative, Comical, Curious, Confident, and finally (closing my eyes and taking a deep breath) Centered.

Q: How did writing and researching this book change your life?

A: I was able to focus on Friendship, Love, Forgiveness, Apology, Adventure, Compassion, Laughter and Miracles, among other things I cherish in my life. I realized that I could not only choose to live but choose how to live. I was also able to finally stop 'holding my breath' and I felt a sense of liberation and calm. While we will always face challenges, and while I continue to face many of those same challenges which prompted my depression, I realized I had the power to change my perspective and that really made the biggest difference in my life.

Q: What was the most important question you asked yourself over the course of writing this book?

A: I had to look back on my life in order to move forward. What is my real legacy? My income? Or the kind of person I am, the people I touch, the values I hold dear? I had to ask myself, "Who am I?" I looked hard at the people who shaped my life and the lessons they taught me. It is not an easy question to answer, 'Who am I?' Ultimately, I am a husband, a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend, a musician, a lawyer and a broadcaster. Knowing who you are is the first question in deciding who you want to be.

Q: What key messages do you hope readers will take from the book?

A: I am not telling people how to live their lives. I am telling the reader what I chose to do and I ask them to think honestly and seriously about what they want to do. Where do you want to go? What do you want to see? Would you offer anyone apology or forgiveness on your final day? Which friends and loved ones, would you gather with to share the joy of laughter? These are just some of the things I hope readers will consider. The reader has the power to choose, the power of focus and perspective. Use that power. If you treat every day as your LAST day, then every day can be more meaningful and joyful. It may sound simple, but it has made a profound and positive impact on my life.