We do not as humans possess the gift of foresight. We can reflect in hindsight. Imagine living your life by the perspective that you mitigate any regrets you may have prior to having them.
I partly attribute and dedicate www.99ThingsToDoBeforeIDie.com to a book I once read that once inspired me to look deeper within for meaning, to consider where we reside in the grand scheme of things and the importance of lists. It led to an idea, and “an idea is like a virus, resilient, highly contagious”. A good idea is worth dying and a great dream are worth dying for.
Books often do have a way of doing such, you find yourself pages and pages in with hours off the clock and no idea in the world as to how we arrived at this impasse.
I read a book once upon a time which changed my life. Not many books, tales or movies have the capacity to change my way of thinking. Stubborn as I am, my friends and family have constantly faced a losing battle as has anyone ever trying to change my views of the world. I stand as living proof that, THIS BOOK IS DIFFERENT!
I first came across this book thanks to my the Guardian:
As you can see above, the headline read, “Top Five Regrets of the Dying”, and that in itself was enough to get me hooked. It is strange to now look back on the date and consider how life has taken an interesting turn since.
Upon reading, I wondered all the logical questions one may ask at deaths door and while filled within intrigue, I clicked the link. I recall reading the article via the Guardian Online. At the point of publish and reading, I was already pondering life and its meaning, all whilst still living at my Mum’s house, in my 3m×5m bedroom, with just enough room to navigate a pathway between the bed and study desk.
Now without giving too much away, the book itself follows the story of a young Bronnie travelling the world, seamlessly ending up in a career in palliative care and learning more about the lives and times of the patients she so dearly cared for.
Bronnie Ware - Top Five Regrets of the Dying
Having read the book, I think everyone tends to have things in their life they tend to regret, time which they wish they could have back and a time-machine to change the past should they get the choice. Alas, we cannot change the past, so can only live for the future, and I feel the best way to live would be without regret.
According to the book, the Top 5 regrets of the dying were:
- I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
- I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
- I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
- I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
- I wish that I had let myself be happier.
To not do a disservice to a great book, I shall not elaborate on each of the points, however do give some time to reflect over the above statements, regardless of your age and where you consider yourself in the journey of life.
Do you share any of the same regrets?
Do you see yourself falling into a spiral?
Are there any wishes you have now that you may be able to work on?
I would go into more detail, but I think it would be better to read the book which can be found at the link below:
http://www.bronnieware.com/blog/regrets-of-the-dying
The book did remind me one thing about life, something that I once knew, something I think I’d locked away and long forgotten, and that is that, “Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.”
How To End A Blog Post?
As a child, I always had an internal mantra that I felt I was meant for something more. I’m still not too sure what this is, but if any of this inspires you and aids you in adopting a more optimistic outlook and perspective, then I feel my life was worth it.
Once upon a time, a young boy with eyes full of wonder looked up at the stars with a view of changing the world. As he grew from child into a what the world calls a man, he realised something about the world and life in itself. Constantly individuals search for “the meaning of life”, at some point I came to the realisation that life and the world itself is subjective. To have a positive impact in a single individuals life means to potentially change the world, even if it’s just for one person.
Thank you for reading.
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