24 Regrets of People Who Are Dying
What do people regret when they’re dying?
I asked hospice nurses—the experts—and here are the top
24 regrets people have when they are dying.
The Regrets
1. I wish I’d had the courage just to be myself.
2. I wish I’d spent more time with the people I love.
3. I wish I’d made spirituality more of a priority.
4. I wish I hadn’t spent so much time working.
5. I wish I had discovered my purpose earlier.
6. I wish I had learned to express my feelings more.
7. I wish I hadn’t spent so much time worrying about things that never happened.
8. I wish I had taken more risks.
9. I wish I had cared less about what other people thought.
10. I wish I’d realized earlier that happiness is a choice.
11. I wish I had loved more.
12. I wish I had taken better care of myself.
13. I wish I’d been a better spouse.
14. I wish I had paid less attention to other people’s expectations.
15. I wish I had quit my job and found something I really enjoyed doing.
16. I wish I had stayed in touch with old friends.
17. I wish I had spoken my mind more.
18. I wish I hadn’t spent so much time chasing the wrong things.
19. I wish I’d had more children.
20. I wish I’d touched more lives.
21. I wish I had thought about life’s big questions earlier.
22. I wish I had traveled more.
23. I wish I had lived more in the moment.
24. I wish I had pursued more of my dreams.
Conclusion
These are the regrets of people who are out of time.
Some people think it’s morbid to think about death.
I disagree. It’s healthy to think about death.
It puts things in perspective and reminds us what really matters.
The inevitability of death should inspire us to get busy living.
Always ask yourself,
what would you do if you knew you would die next year?
