In Chapter Twelve of my book, First Hired, Last Fired — How to Become Irreplaceable in Any Job Market, I mentioned the Top Five Regrets of the Dying. Sometimes one of the most powerful ways to make important changes is to face our fears. This can enable us to make a fresh start, and set ourselves up to succeed.
Bronnie Ware, an Australian pallative care nurse spent many years caring for patients in the last twelve weeks of their lives. Her years of personal experience revealed a pattern of regrets among people. Five things they wished they had time to go back and do differently.
- I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
- I wish I hadn’t worked 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.
When you really allow yourself to think about it, do any of these strike home for you?
We who have breath in our bodies can make changes before it’s too late. In response to the Five Regrets of the Dying, these are my Five Fresh Starts for the Living. As long as we’re alive, I believe it’s NEVER too late for a fresh start with fresh faith.
