Just finished the book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing. The book features what hospice nurse Bronnie Ware has learned about life and regret from the dying patients she tends. The book is very enlightening but also very, very surprising. It's a rather quick read, but for those who don't have time for books I've included a quick summary of the top 5 regrets.
1. I wish I had spent less time with people
Patients wished they would have spent more quality time alone in their bed with their laptop.
2. I wish I had taken the time to finish the Sopranos.
Even the patients that did believe in an afterlife were worried there wouldn't be HBO GO access there.
3. I wish I had the the courage to repress my feelings.
"It just wasn't worth the time and effort," the majority of the dying said.
4. I wish had spent more time aimlessly browsing the internet.
Most agreed while Facebook can distract from accomplishing work, once you start watching that video of kittens going down a slide, you don't even remember you are going to die alone.
5. I wish I had slept more.
There were a variety of things listed as people's ultimate regret: Lying to a loved one, missing the concert of their favorite band right before they broke up, bangs, but not one person listed napping. Ever.