We all regret something from our past. Whether it pertains to relationships, work or events in life, there are always things that we wish we did differently.
But in the end, how many of those regrets impacted us adversely? And how many really mattered in the end?
Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent years looking after patients in the last weeks of their lives. During that time, she observed how her terminally ill patients gained clarity of vision toward the end of their lives — and recorded the thoughts of her patients in a book, “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.”
She wrote it in the hope that we can all learn from it — and perhaps avoid having the same regrets ourselves.
Here are the top five regrets she encountered…
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I’d stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I’d let myself be happier.
How many of those regrets do you identify within your own lives? I see myself in many of them.
So, what can we do now — before those last moments when we are looking at our impending death?
I would start first by searching deep in my souls and becoming in tune with my spiritual self. I am guilty too often of caring what others think and expect of me rather than doing what is right at any particular moment. This also includes developing better boundaries between myself and what others think and feel. Over the years, I have learned that what others expect of us is often not our concern — but I know I can use some improvement.
To me, this one step would help in changing all five of the regrets above. If I am in tune with my spiritual self, I would not focus on work as much and learn to enjoy life more; I would have the courage to express my feelings more clearly; it would cause me to value friendships more deeply; and thus, would make me happier.
How about you?
