Living at 100%

Amy Ettinger is living at 100%. She’s also only 49, and she’s been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer, uterine leiomyosarcoma. She is at Stage 4 and possibly has only a few months to live. But she’s living those months at 100%, and taking the time to share her insights with the rest of us.

The Big Picture

At the 100 Year Lifestyle we often talk about living at 100%. We talk about 100:100 or living at 100% for 100 years or more. However, we don’t – each time – give the full explanation of what we mean by that. Here’s the explanation quoted from the 100 Year Lifestyle article, “100:100 is Your Birthright.”

Every choice is an opportunity to better ourselves. So, regardless of our health or other challenges in life, we can take charge of our situation and rise to the highest level possible. We can live at our 100%—whether we are 5, 20, 50, 80, 100, or older.

Meaningful Aspects

That’s what Amy is doing. While she talks about being “shocked, sad, angry, and confused,” she quickly moves on to talk about how she is dying without any regrets about the way she’s lived her life. She focuses on a handful of meaningful aspects.

After her fair share of heartache in her youth, she learned that “lasting love is about finding someone who will show up for you.” She has been married for 25 years and together they have a 14-year-old daughter.
Amy passionately pursued her dream of writing. Regardless of the critics, after traveling the country taste testing, her book about ice cream (Sweet Spot: An Ice Cream Bing Through America) was published by a major publishing house.
She never created a bucket list but instead said yes to life, taking advantage of each moment of spontaneity and joy that came her way.
She sought and found people who accepted her as she is.
Amy and her family chose to live in a part of the country that makes them happy and where they are able to spend time in nature, even if it hasn’t been the best financial choice.

Clearly, that’s the epitome of living at 100%, a life well lived.

Amy’s Words

The end of my life is coming much too soon, and my diagnosis can at times feel too difficult to bear. But I’ve learned that life is all about a series of moments, and I plan to spend as much remaining time as I can savoring each one, surrounded by the beauty of nature and my family and friends. Thankfully, this is the way I’ve always tried to live my life.

Read Amy’s original article in her own words here. We should all accept the generosity of her sharing her journey and use her lessons to better ourselves and create our best possible 100:100.