The idea of death can be very scary for most of us. One whose life-lease is about to come to an end, the scare takes mountainous proportion. Only those who have come to realise that death is as good as birth because it too is a growth process is free from the scare.
Writer-singer Bronnie Ware, devoted to the care of the dying, narrates her experiences with such people in her book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing. Her association with the dying gave her a “new vision” in life that transformed her into a more sensible, understanding and caring human being.
Bronnie lists five regrets that one should aim at living without. First, “I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not a life others expected of me.” This regret is universal and everyone has this feeling at one time or the other in one’s life.
Secondly, wish I had the wisdom to take life easy and didn’t work like a machine. The point is that one should live a simple life. There are many things in life that need your attention. For instance, the need to celebrate the good things of life, and the need to go around and explore the world.
Third: Wish I had the courage to express my feelings. By not speaking out your mind, you are suppressing yourself and that chokes your growth.
{{/usCountry}}Third: Wish I had the courage to express my feelings. By not speaking out your mind, you are suppressing yourself and that chokes your growth.
{{/usCountry}}Fourth: Wish I had spent more time with my dear ones. This one is the complaint of those who are workaholics.
Fifth: Wish I had let myself be happier. This comes when one has not been able to manage the first four wishes. One who has let all the earlier wishes come true gets this as a bonus!