Deathbed Regrets

On my last post, I included an article that touched on the subject of regrets.  I continued to ponder ways to live a life of no regrets.  During my research, I came across an interesting article online:

 

 

Admitted on Their Deathbed: Top 5 Regrets

You know the old saying: When you are on your deathbed, you won't wish you had worked longer hours. But what will you wish you had done--or not done in your life?

A palliative care nurse--that is someone who cares for the dying--has listened to a lot of patients who have come to the end of their days. "People grow a lot when faced with their own mortality," the anonymous nurse writes on EmpowerNetwork.com.

She says the emotional changes a dying person experiences are phenomenal, ranging from denial to remorse, fear to anger and eventually acceptance.

When she asked her dying patients if they had any regrets in their life, the answers were different, but common themes emerged again and again.

The top five regrets people have on their deathbed:

1. "I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me."
We all have dreams, but real life tends to get in the way. Many of our unrealized ambitions are due to choices we made--or didn't make--along the way.
What can you do now? Honor your dreams while you still have good health and the freedom that brings.

2. "I wish I didn't work so hard."
This is an especially common regret among men, who realize far too late in life that they missed much of their children's youth and their wife's companionship.
What can you do now? While work and the money it brings are essential, there are ways to simplify your lifestyle so you don't have to spend as much time at work or in a job that is so demanding it takes time away from what matters most.

3. "I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings."
To keep the peace, it's often easier to keep quiet. That can mean not only settling for a mediocre existence and never truly becoming all of which you are capable of being, but also being filled with bitterness and resentment.
What can you do now? Be honest with yourself and others. Say what is on your mind. Be your authentic self.

4. "I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends."
Old friends are one of our greatest blessings. Losing track of them in the busyness of life is something that can cause you great regret later. In the final weeks of life what matters most is love and friendship.
What can you do now? Make time for your friends. You may discover it's more a matter of scheduling and time management than a true lack of time.

5. "I wish that I had let myself be happier."
Happiness is a choice, and it's something that many people don't realize until they are dying. Our fear of change can stymie our chance to grow and try new things.
What can you do now? Laugh! Invite silliness and fun into your life on a daily basis.

--From the Editors at Netscape

http://channels.isp.netscape.com/whatsnew/package.jsp?name=fte/deathbedregrets/deathbedregrets

 

Interesting to say the least!  After reading this list, what thoughts come to mind?  How can you make changes in your life?

Here’s another regret I’d like to add to the list and, on my list, this one would be FIRST:

1)      "I wish I would’ve accepted the gift of eternal life."

Many people never open the FREE gift that Christ has given them.  There are many reasons why they don’t, but in the end, it’s the ultimate regret.

What can you do now?  Accept Christ!  All you have to do is believe.

John 11:25

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”

John 3:16

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

 

It’s that simple – all you have to do is believe and accept this FREE gift!  Once you receive Jesus, the Holy Spirit inhabits your heart and makes you a new creation. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

The Holy Spirit will help you change from the inside out and, in the end, you won’t have the ultimate regret.  You’ll inherit your eternal gift and live forever with Christ and the saints!!