Leslie John

But in the long run, the pattern flips.

such that what we end up regretting much more over the course of our lives are the things that we didn't do, the sins of omission, the things that we didn't do that we should have done.

Those are the things that leave us thinking, what if?

What if I had told my college crush that I was into him?

Like, what if?

why didn't I do that?

What would be the harm?

And what are the missed opportunities?

Meanwhile, we don't ruminate at all over the long haul about, okay, maybe I was rebuffed by this person, but at least I found out, you know, you get kind of closure and you don't continue perseverating.

Yes.

So Bronnie Ware, my hero, she has spent, as a palliative care nurse, she spent time, a lot of time with people at the very end of their lives.

So she gets to know them a lot.

And she wrote a book where she collated her observations on what people tended to regret.

So on their dying beds, what did they say they regret?

And here are the top five regrets.

Number two.

Number three.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.

Number four, I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

Number five, I wish I had let myself be happier.