There may be no better way to learn about life than by listening to people who are facing death. A palliative nurse has posted five of the most common regrets people have in the last few weeks of their lives—lessons for us all now.
The top regrets center largely around living a more authentic life:
1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. [...]2. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
Many of the patients also wished they had spent less time working and pretending to be content, and more time with friends and actually allowing themselves to be happy. Notably: these people didn't regret not getting promotions or making more money or being famous.
We've touched on related themes in the past, but these real life stories of people with unfulfilled dreams are certainly more poignant. Photo by Adam Baker.
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