HOW TO AVOID REGRET AND LIVE A FULFILLED LIFE
We live in a fast paced world where everything is whizzing by and changing in the blink of an eye and just when we think we know what we need to know to really enjoy life, it’s all over.
You see, most people are in a constant state of “busy.” Busy preparing for the future. Busy worrying about the past. Busy trying to get everything done with family, friends, chores, work, social activities, volunteering, networking, and anything else they can fit into their “busy” schedule for the day, that they forget how to live in the moment.
Most people are so busy worrying about EVERYTHING else that they forget how to enjoy the NOW.
Do you know someone like this? Does any of this resonate with you?
Now, let me ask you a serious question. If you were to die today would you be satisfied with the life you lived?
If you answered “yes” then you are the minority. A survey given to random people walking on the streets of New York during their daily activities produced eye opening insight to the average person in America.
The simple question, “What do you want in life?” was asked to each participant. The answers to this first question was reasonably expected. The number one answer by a large margin given was, “To be happy” while the second most common answer was, “To be successful.”
When the follow up question, “Do you feel happy, or, successful?” was asked is when insight to the average person in America was truly discovered. The answer was a resounding “No.”
“NO” most people do not feel happy or successful. “NO” most people do not feel satisfied with their lives.
So now the question we have to ask ourselves is, “Why do people feel unsatisfied with their lives and what are their regrets that cause this feeling?”
Huffington Post and Collective Evolution published an article by Joe Martino called, The Top 5 Regrets Of The Dying that can answer this question for us. While the list will give you the top 5 regrets people have, it will also allow you to discover what to avoid in your own life so you have a much greater chance at living a happier, more successful, and fulfilled life.
The Top 5 Regrets Of The Dying
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
“This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made. Health brings a freedom very few realize, until they no longer have it.”
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
“This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret, but as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.”
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
“Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.”
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
“Often they would not truly realize the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.”
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
”This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content, when deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.”
Now that you know what the top regrets that people have in life are, you can naturally and immediately begin to use this knowledge to your advantage and allow your life to benefit from it. “Living a life that you love and loving the life that you are living is the truest demonstration of success.”
Live is worth living and the better you do it the more you will enjoy it.
You are Stronger Than Failure,
Danny Cole