✳flâneur — a map of the web's best reading

The No. 1 life regret of the dying: I see it ‘all the time,’ says psychologist—what he does to stop it

cnbc.com · 893 words · saved by 1 readers

For eight years, Bronnie Ware was an in-home caregiver who looked after people who were dying. Her clients knew they were severely ill, and most were in the last three to 12 weeks of their lives. But Ware gradually realized that the most important role she was playing was not physical, but emotional. She was there to listen, and she catalogued those intimate reflections her book, “The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.” In their last days, many of her patients shared with her their regrets. The most common answer, according to Ware, was: “I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” “It is very important to try and honor at least some of your dreams along the way before it is too late,” she writes. “Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it.” As a psychologist, this is something I see all the time with my patients. I always tell them that to boost my happiness and stop the clock on regret, I work on developing an

The No. 1 life regret of the dying: I see it ‘all the time,’ says psychologist—what he does to stop it Skip Navigation Related Stories Psychology and Relationships Psychologist: 5 things the happiest couples do in the evening—instead of watching TV Raising Successful Kids Psychologist: Parents who have 'close bonds' with their adult kids do 7 things early on Health and Wellness I've been a neuroscientist for 20 years: I do 6 things to keep my brain strong and healthy How to Talk to People The most charismatic people use 5 simple phrases to get people to like them: Public speaking expert Health

Explore this link on the map →

related reading