Writer Bronnie Ware wrote a book after working with those nearing the end of life, The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying. She shares these, and how meditation made a difference for her as she was working with those who were dying. She discusses what a regular meditation practice provides as we look back at the scope of our life. The top 5 regrets she observed people had at the end of their life were:
- 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 I had let myself be happier.
She says, “I think if you can develop compassion for yourself, you’re not going to have regrets. Rather than judging yourself for something you did or didn’t do and having regrets about it, you can actually look back on it later with compassion for who you once were. I think in our busy lives, without meditation, it’s very easy to be ruled by your busy mind, by fear and others’ expectations. I think once you do connect with that part of yourself with a regular practice, there comes a time when your heart speaks too loudly for you to ignore.”
Read this recent interview with Bronnie Ware here from Mindful Magazine:
http://www.mindful.org/no-regrets/
