People tend to take everything for granted. We feel like there’s so much time in front of us. But the truth is… Time is slowly fading away. And there are days when it passes so quickly that we’re not even aware of it.
We hate Mondays, and we hate the whole workweek, desperately waiting for Friday to arrive. We work hard, and we suffer waiting for that desired holiday. We forget to focus on the present moment.
And so, day after day, month after month, a whole year passes without us realizing it.
Sadly, as we grow older, we become more and more aware of these essential life truths. The closer we get to the exit door of this world, the more we regret the things we haven’t done.
Here are 8 common regrets people have before they pass away. Let these words awaken you and lead your way to fulfilling your wildest dreams because the TIME IS NOW!
1. “I WISH I LIVED FOR MYSELF MORE”
When people realize their life is over, they tend to look back and regret not fulfilling the dreams they had.
According to Bronnie Ware, a palliative nurse from Australia, this is one of the biggest regrets her patients had. While she said that all of them found a peace of mind before dying, she heard many heart-breaking confessions from these people. It moved her so much that she actually wrote a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.
2. “I REGRET SPENDING ALL MY LIFE WORKING HARD”
A strong dedication to a loving career and success in the particular field are wonderful achievements in life. However, one must never forget to live. Some parents spend their whole lives running around, working hard, they even miss out on their children, all for the sake of the job.
That is not the way, believe me. We are given one life, and what we make of it, depends on us. Don’t throw it away.
3. “I FEEL BAD I WAS AFRAID TO EXPRESS MY FEELINGS”
A lot of people I know suppress their feelings for different reasons. Some are afraid to say what lies in their hearts, others do it in order to please people. As a result, they tend to settle for a mediocre existence. They keep their hearts shut, and their words shallow.
Some of them become aware of the life they lived. But sadly, it usually happens very late.
Don’t regret your life. Express yourself in the most genuine way. Love purely.
4. “I WISH I STAYED IN TOUCH WITH SOME PEOPLE”
Many people fail to realize the significance of lifelong, golden friendships. They get caught up in the busy working life and forget about people who sworn to be there for them.
And when eventually, health and youth fades away, people become more aware of what really matters in this life. Unconditional love. The joy of being surrounded by wonderful people who love you as much as you love them.
Nurture your connections with the people you care about. It is the only way you’ll see flowers bloom.
5. “I WISH I LIVED A HAPPIER LIFE”
We, people, tend to put the blame for our miserable lives on irrelevant factors. We blame the society, we blame the people, we blame the media. We avoid taking responsibility for our lives. It seems like that is the less painful way.
But, when a fast-forward of our lives flashes in front of our eyes, we aren’t satisfied. We often regret not living a more fulfilled and happy life. We feel sorry for all the wasted years. We feel bad for not living life to the fullest.
6. “I REGRET WORRYING SO MUCH ABOUT WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT ME”
This is something that has the power to keep a person from living its life the way it is supposed to be lived. When we get too caught up in the opinions of others, we basically decide to live our lives they way they want to.
Don’t fall into that delusional rabbit hole. You do as you please. It is your life. Nobody else has a say in it. Make sure to live life without a single regret.
7. “I TRULY WISH I DIDN’T TAKE LIFE FOR GRANTED”
The worst you could do is take this life for granted. This one life you have.
People constantly rush and run around searching for something without actually focusing on the present day and appreciating everything they have.
We might not have thousands of years to live, but at the end of the day, it is truly important to make a wise decision about where should we invest most of our time.
8. “I REGRET NOT LIVING IN THE NOW”
More than anything else, we should focus living in the NOW. I know a lot of people who spent their whole lives crying over a lost love, dwelling on the past, and I sure have met some who desperately longed for the future. Waiting for those better days…
The sad thing is, they never really experienced raw moments. They either associated them with the past events or the future outcomes.
We need to learn from their mistakes and show them a different way. We need to exist now. There is so much beauty out there, you have no idea. All we have to do is change our point of view.
Image: Christine Lebrasseur
