1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. 2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard. 3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings. 4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. 5. I wish that I had let myself be happier. Link And here is a link to the related TED talk about how to deal with serious or terminal illness through "post traumatic growth" or building resilience. I got the above reference from this TED talk. Link
Good post. I saw Jane McGonigal’s TED talk recently (I really enjoy most all of the TED presentations) and read something about these five regrets a couple months ago. I would guess that most of us fall into at least one or two of these traps at some point—I certainly have—and rarely examine what we truly want in life. It’s not more money or status or possessions. I love what Rumi said: I should be suspicious of what I want.
I wished id have listened to more music......... I had a dream about that in 1995. Ive been making sure i dont have that regeret ever since
Far too many people think money equals happiness. It does not and I learned this at an early age thankfully.
But nobody sits on his deathbed and regrets eating too many Whataburgers, so don't worry about that. YOLO, LOL.
I just don't get the Whataburger love. I suppose it's a great burger if you love wilted lettuce and over-salted meat. I will regret that I didn't travel more. And that I didn't stay in Longhorn Band.
I am dying and I wish I had died earlier. But, I'm glad I had the opportunity to help get my special needs daughter a job and my son to get a full ride at Alabama and a sexier car from a client of mine.
We're all one day closer to death. I don't know about being shorter of breath, though, if you've been keeping up with your cardio. The only regret of dying is being in a state of not living.
I'm young...or younger than the average poster on here, but I feel like I've aged well enough and inside I feel old enough that if I were to go right now or tomorrow, I can really say that I lived a good life. Live fast and die young, like Labord's Chameleon do in Madagascar. I try to live life without regrets, but that's impossible to do, as most of my regrets if not all, are life lessons learned. So if I were to go soon, I regret not living life without any inhibitions from an earlier age. It is cliche, but sometimes, when one does slow down and smell the roses, one is happier. Life is about the little things, I find joy in the smallest of things, all I thought I ever wanted or needed in life thus far, I didn't. We were all born with nothing in our hands, everything that I have now, is just considered a luxury.
Well said, biganakhanhda. I once heard someone describe the chief virtue of philosophy as learning how to live, and learning how to die. I like that.
i've been to Comumbia, Peru Alaska ,Californiia, Montans Colorado, Maryland, New York, Mexico, Arizona, UK, Tangiiers, Spain, Kenya, US Virgin Islands, Uganda, Kenya and Tanziania.. Probably more, but It's not all that big of a deal
Fortunately I've always done anything I've wanted to do. I suppose you could say I have had a bucket list of things I wanted to do as a child and have slowly been checking things off that list for the past 20 years or so. I work a lot and have my entire life, but when my son was four years old I realized I didn't know him at all so I made a pact with myself that I'd never sacrifice family for work. Since then I've had a pretty good work/life balance, but my work has afforded me the opportunity to do all of the things with my family to build long term memories. I never miss perfomances, sporting events or anything for my kids. Usually it all comes down to good planning. Now that I have advanced in my life and career into a higher leadership position I work hard every day to ensure others that I know or work for me have the opportunities to have the same balance. The one drawback is that because of work and family I rarely if ever have time for friends or me so I'll probably end up dying friendless, but at this point in my life I'm not sure that matters because my family is everything to me. I just hope nothing catastrophic happens and I end up being the last to go because I'm not sure what I'd do. I feel like I am one of the few lucky people who realized early in life to focus on what is important to me and will die happy with where I am at the time.
Vol, great post and I am on board with your thinking. I have been fortunate these last few years to work from home and be near my wife and home-schooled boys all day. I enjoy life more than I ever have because of this, and my work priorities have changed. What I really want is quality of life over professional advancement (promotions, raises, titles, etc) if I ever have to choose between the two. I have more than enough already. For me the thinking is this: life is now. It sounds so cliché but the moment is all we know that we have, and it is always now that we find happiness. In the 90s I worked for one of the big consulting firms, and one day I went to the home of the partner I worked for. He was preparing to leave for the airport—like many in his position he travelled constantly—and his two young boys were crying because daddy was leaving again. I asked him about it. He said “I never see my kids.” There is nothing in this world that could entice me to that way of life.
Top 5 regrets of the dying 5. Letting a clown dress me and prepare my makeup. 4. Forgetting to request the cloning procedure. 3. Formaldehyde. 2. Requesting to be next to my wife. 1. Piping in the LHN into the coffin.
For many people, it's tough to row against the tide of comformality and what is epxected by not only family, but society as a whole. I was lucky enough to have a very supportive family that didn't judge me for not following the same path as the majority of my peers. I meet far too many people that are miserable, have regrets, 'wish' they were able to travel, follow their dream etc, but are too fearful to actually step outside their comfort zone and societies. I'm not as rich financially as some of my friends, but I can honestly say I've had a pretty interesting and varied life so far. Now I'm settled down I still refuse to work 100 hours a week for 'stuff' as spending time with my kids and seeing them grow up is more important than having a bigger house or more expensive car etc. Still, what's right for me isn't necessarily right for someone else who may be completely fine with the opposite of what I want.
I did not realize that he was serious. This is a sad deal for me and he will be missed by many including me.
I don’t know Nick personally but this saddens me too. Sincere best wishes to Nick and his family and friends.
Timely post.I had wondered about NickDanger for awhile. I enjoyed reading his post in Home Depot and other subforums. I vaguely remember him stating he was battling cancer. He is a long list of Hornfans posters that have/will move on that have made this place a "home" of sorts.... Vaya con Dios, amigo
I received an email from NickDanger's wife this morning. Nick passed away yesterday (Sunday 11/18). Prayers with his family and now Nick is at peace and without pain. I truly enjoyed his friendship and will miss him greatly. Hookem Nick and I know you are looking down and can't wait for 2013 and Longhorn football.
Namewithheld, Please pass along my sincere condolences to Nick's family. He has been a favorite poster of mine for years. I always loved his iconoclastic viewpoints. The world is a sadder place with his passing.
