I came across an article "Nurse Reveals the Top 5 Regrets People make on their Deathbed." Actually the info came from a songwriter, Bronnie Ware, who wrote a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departed. But it doesn't matter who it came from.. the important part is that it was enlightening information. Something to really think about.
Top Five Regrets People Make on their Deathbed
1. I wish I'd had the courage to live life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
They said this was the most common regret of all. I may have to agree. Many of us want to please others, have others like us, and or just want to keep the peace. We all have dreams; when you lose your health it's kind of too late. That's why we travel now with the kids cuz when they get older they won't want to travel with you or can't due to scheduling conflicts and when you have an empty nest, you may not be as physically fit to go around the world in eighty days.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard.
Ah... ain't that the truth. This came from every male patient the nurse cared for. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Work-o-holics... I know that in this day and age especially in this economy, our jobs are very precious to us. But precious enough that we miss out on time with our family? Especially our kids? Will you need to write a book for your kids explaining the reasons why you worked so much (aka Mr. Jobs) after you die? I personally feel that one's childhood experiences has a huge life-changing impact on who they become as an adult. How well do you know your child?
3. I'd wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
Sometimes we really don't have the guts to say how we really feel or what we really want to say to others.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
I so value my relationships with others. Whenever we spend time with others either through sharing a meal or on a trip, the time and conversation we share is priceless. Personally, I feel it's not what we do but who we are with that is important. We get so caught up in our own lives that we don't invest ourselves with others from our past or present.
Who can say that they still keep in touch with friends from grade school, high school, college, graduate school, every job that they had post college, all the guys they seriously dated, all the churches they've attended and served in and extracurricular organizations such as MOPS, Gymboree etc..? Yep.. that's moi!! I most proudly have!
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
Happiness is a choice. Life is a choice. Choose consciously, choose wisely, and choose honestly. Choose to be happy.
I would like to add one more important one:
6. I wish I had listened to God, loved Jesus as my Lord and Savior and did my best to make a difference in other people's lives by sharing God's love to others.
Investing in others is so much more satisfying than building our own self up. It is more meaningful and fulfilling knowing you made a difference in someone else's life, by caring, sharing and loving them as Jesus does.
I'd like to go out on a limb now to say, my dear readers, if you do not know Jesus as your personal Savior I hope you'd consider the decision to accept Him in your heart. Life can be too hard to live without a living God who knows all and loves us because He created us. I'm not saying that life will be a breeze when we become a Christian. Not at all, life will go on but you don't have to live it alone. God will be with you always. And when it's your time on earth to go, we'll all meet up in heaven to live in eternity together.
ONGOING CONTEST... remember I will enter your name with each comment you post on anything I've written through February 9 . Random winner will receive a BIG prize!
