I just finished the book “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying” by Bronnie Ware. If you have not read it, I would recommend doing so. It provides great prospective. The author spent her time as a palliative caregiver. She worked with over a hundred dying people and developed close relationships with them during the last months, weeks, days and minutes of their lives. It changed her forever. It may change you to? In spending her time with her patients as they were leaving this world, she heard the same repetitive themes. The same regrets kept being told to her from those in her care, over and over and over again. This is what she heard….
The Top 5 Regrets Of The 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 hadn’t worked 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 reading the book it made me realize that in doing my Leap Year of Firsts it addressed these regrets. My firsts gave me the courage to live a life true to myself and led me to work less. I shared my feelings. I told people I loved them. I reached out to stay in touch with friends. I let things go and became much happier. I would ask that you try something that you have never done in your life but have always wanted to do and DO IT! Do a FIRST! Live life fuller and don’t have any regrets!