5 Regrets of the Dying
Bronnie Ware is a nurse that worked several years caring for patients with fewer than 12 weeks to live. She uncovered 5 common regrets of the dying:
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 stayed in touch with my friends
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier
This is important because we only become true to ourselves when the end is near. During our lives we treat time as infinite and often put aside our needs for the sake of perceived success. There’ll be time to re-connect with friends later. There’ll be time to pursue my hobbies later. There’ll be time to devote to family after this project at work is finished. The thing is, the demands of today never go away. This project will lead to the next, and so on.
While I don’t think it’s a good idea to live recklessly, you must balance your wants and needs with those of others. Once in a while, take a moment to evaluate your life as if you only had a couple months left to live. Would you have any regrets?