Source: CNN
I read an article a few months ago that had a profound impact on me. This article shared the observations of a nurse who had cared for dying patients on their deathbed. She documented their regrets as they reflected upon their lives and their impending demise.
Did these people — faced with their own mortality — express their disappointment over not putting in more hours at work? Did they lament over work-related e-mails they wished they had answered or express remorse over business meetings they missed attending?
Nope. In fact, she found the opposite. The No.2 most common regret expressed to the nurse — and the number one regret of men under her care — was: “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.” As the nurse noted, “This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship.”
The nurse also shared the other common regrets articulated by her patients, such as their disappointment in not pursing their dreams, failing to have the courage to express their true feelings and not allowing themselves to be happy.
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