A Life Without Regrets: 5 Ways to Get There
A life without regrets is something to which we all aspire. But who can teach us how to get there?
Bronnie Ware knows about life, death, and dying. She can help us think about life’s priorities. She can help us gather the strength to make important decisions, such as buying life insurance. She can teach us how to lead a life without regrets.
How Did Bronnie learn about life without regrets?
For many years, Bronnie worked in palliative care. Her patients were those who had gone home to die. She was with them during the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. She always spoke with them to understand how they made peace with themselves. The lessons she has learned have been posted in an article called “Regrets of the Dying” on her website inspirationandchai.com.
In our own private thoughts, I think we all strive to have no regrets when we die. We understand somehow that the clock cannot be turned back, and therefore, if we have unfinished business on our last day, nothing can be done about it. For creatures like us, who are built to solve problems, make amends, and make tomorrow better, this predicament could be extremely stressful. We would be wise to heed the advice of those who have faced that final moment of accounting.
What are the five ways we can lead a life without regrets?
In her article, Bronnie identifies five common themes that surfaced again and again in the testimonials of her patients. They all address the question of whether or not the patients had any regrets, or would have done anything in their lives differently.
Would you like to venture a guess as to what these five problem areas are? They are listed below. I am sure you can relate.
- I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
- I wish I didn’t work so hard.
- I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
- I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
- I wish that I had let myself be happier.
How can the purchase of life insurance help you lead a life without regrets?
The fourth category, staying in touch with friends, has a direct bearing on financial affairs, and the life insurance purchase in particular. The bedrock of this purchase is the love the insured feels for his family, his business, or the cause that is close to his heart. That love comes to the forefront in one’s final moments. Here is how Bronnie describes the experience:
“It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.”
Here is a short video interview with Bronnie:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/FcITT99FBfI
Dennis Prager is another teacher about life, death and dying. We relayed his guidance to you in a prior post.