A 2012 article in Britain's Guardian newspaper contains a list of the top 5 regrets of dying people, as assembled by a palliative care nurse. They are: 1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. 2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard. (This one was mentioned by every male patient.) 3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings. 4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. 5. I wish that I had let myself be happier. ("Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice.") Susie Steiner, "Top five regrets of the dying," The Guardian, February 1, 2012 |