We just came across this great post on LinkedIn from John-Paul Iwuoha. He shares the story of Bronnie Ware, an Australian palliative care nurse and counselor:
As part of therapy, Bronnie would ask about any regrets they had about their lives, and anything they would do differently if life gave them a second chance.
Of all the responses she got from her patients, she noticed there were 5 regrets that stood out. These were the most common regrets her patients wished they hadn’t made as they coursed through life.
He then expands on each of the five common regrets Ware found in her study:
- I wish I pursued my dreams and aspirations, and not the life others expected of me
- I wish I didn’t work so hard
- I wish I had the courage to express my feelings and speak my mind
- I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends
- I wish I had let myself be happier
I think we can all relate to at least one of these; I know I can. It's a good reminder to live each day to the fullest before little regrets become big regrets. You can read the full post here.