Bronnie Ware is a palliative nurse who has been seeing dying patients. From her experience, she observed five common themes that often resurfaced with regards to the regrets of people who were 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 didn't work so hard.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
In essence, the dying often wished that they have lead a more meaningful and fulfilling life. That they have been more true to themselves and in touch of their feelings. They wished they had spent more time with family, friends and with the things they like to do instead of just their work. Such reflections are not new. Kubler Ross in her work about the grief of dying had often alluded to these.
Sadly, our society continues to overemphasize academic and occupational achievements. Family and other social aspects of life are often neglected.
If your time is ending, will you have any regrets?
