Bronnie Ware has written a book inspired by her experiences among terminally ill patients. “The Top Five Regrets of Those Who Die” is the title of the publication I just ordered.
While it reaches me, I transcribe into Spanish the summary that Kevin Roberts published in his blog, regarding his profoundly important findings. See if you find something you didn’t know.
- I regret not having had the guts to live a life according to my desires, and not a life in relation to the expectations of others. This is the most common regret. Most people have not honored even half of their dreams, and have to face death knowing that it was too late to make the decisions they should have made or should not have made.
- I regret working too hard. This came from every male patient Ware treated, as well as many women. They missed out on the youth of their children and the companionship of their partners. They deeply regret having spent so much time working.
- I regret not having had the courage to express my feelings. Many people discover in their agony that they oppressed their feelings to keep at peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became the person they had the capacity to become. Many developed illnesses related to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result of not being more expressive.
- I regret having disconnected from my friendships. Most realize the importance of their friendships of a lifetime only in the last weeks of their lives. Many have become so caught up in their own routines that they have let wonderful friendships drift away over the years. I often observed deep regrets for not having cared for close friendships with the time and effort they deserved.
- I regret not allowing myself to be happier. Many did not realize that being happy is a choice. They got stuck in their patterns and habits. Fearing change, they did not allow themselves to become happy.
There must be a lot of truth in these capsules of agonizing wisdom. For those of us who still have the time, here is an accurate guide. A phrase I read a few days ago still sticks in my mind: “The main reason for failure and unhappiness lies in sacrificing what is most important in life, for what we want now”.
Life is a choice. We have the ability to choose to be happy. Therefore, it makes sense to choose wisely, intelligently, with love and compassion.
