5 Top Regrets of The Dying

I spent my weekend to finish a beautiful book written by Bronnie Ware. She worked with dying people for many years and had discussion with them in the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. Here’s the takeaway from the book that I wish I never regret in my death bed.

Regret 1 : I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

In our entire life, we often spend our time to worry about what other people think of ourselves. Sometimes we’re seeking validation from people we don’t even now. We want to be liked, accepted, and most of the time, it makes us living in other people expectation. We’d like to sacrifice what truly meaningful to us, to keep up with what we think it’s meaningful for other people. Reading this book, it makes me realize, that in our deathbed, other people opinion is no longer significant for us. What’s matter is how we lived our life, how we create happy memories and share love to those we care about.

Regret 2: I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

There is nothing wrong to work on what we love. However, this book reminds me, that there’s so much in life other than work, so there’s no point to make our work is everything in our life. We need to find balance between work & life. As a young adult who spends most of my time in work in the past few years, this regret kind of opening my eyes. It helps me to fully aware that work is only part of life, it’s not supposed to be my entire life.

Regret 3 : I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

This book inspires me to stay true with my feeling. This gentle reminder gives me courage, to express my feeling with honesty. Expressing feelings somehow set us free.

Regret 4 : I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

Growing up, we are so busy with our life that sometimes make our friendship slips away. But this book reminds me, when we’re old and nothing we longer catch, friendship is what we’re longing for. Even when we have a family by ourselves, there’s some discussion that only happens between friends. It’s a gentle reminder to reconnect with our old friends, the true one who have been for us in our ups and downs.

Regret 5 : I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Happiness is a state of mind and its matter on how we see things. Happiness is a choice we need to make for ourselves. Never put ourselves as of we’re victim of life. We are not, we have choice to change our life & to live happier.

From the 5 top regrets above, it gives me more courage to live a life the way I want it. To cherish every single breath with excitement. I agree with Bronnie Ware, the author, she said in her block, “When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.”