Avoiding Regrets in Life by Staring Death Straight in the Eye

Noth­ing is quite as clar­i­fy­ing as star­ing death straight in the eye.

Every time some­one I know becomes seri­ous­ly ill or pass­es away, I get crys­tal-clear on how well I’m liv­ing my life. And what I need to change to live it better.

And so this arti­cle from the Dai­ly Mir­ror struck me. It’s insight from a pal­lia­tive nurse who shared the 5 most com­mon regrets she hears from her dying patients.

The top 5 regrets in order are:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not what oth­ers expect 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 I’d let myself be happier.

I chal­lenge you to the full arti­cle and ask your­self what sin­gle thing you would change in your life so you don’t end up regret­ful in the end. Let the dying teach us how to real­ly live.