The Top Five Regrets of the Dying

I just finished a wonderful book by Bronnie Ware called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying. She is an Australian author. Stu found the book on the Internet and his Hospice Social Worker bought it for us to read. It is a GREAT book and an easy read. It is as much about Bronnie's transformation as it is about regrets. The first regrest is:

#1 - I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

I think we can all get this one and have some places in our lives where we have lived true to others more than ourselves. Stu and I are both blessed to have lived our lives true to ourselves and still enjoyed the partnership we share and the journeys we have traveled. On the boat Stu use to say he was the Captain and I was the Admiral. He always has a colorful way of describing things that seems to be VERY close to the reality.

Earlier in the book Bronnie was at a turning point in her life and she came to the realization that: "The same force that balances the flow of the tides, the force that sees seasons come and go perfectly, and creates life, was surely capable of bringing the opportunity to me I needed...Trying to control the timing and outcome was a terrible waste of energy. My intentions were already out there and I had taken what actions I could. My only job now was to get out of the way."

I have so come to believe that in my life...trying to control the timing and outcome is a terrible waste of energy BUT I do believe that our INTENTIONS have everything to do with the outcomes.

I will post about the other regrets over the next few days.