For many years Bronnie Ware worked in palliative care. Her patients were those who had gone home to die. Shew was with them for the last weeks of their lives, and here are the most common regrets they expressed to her:
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.
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard. This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings. Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier. This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice.
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