Les 5 regrets des personnes en fin de vie

It had taken me completely by surprise when I realised that I had become so caught up in my wounds, I was only able to focus on how hard my life had been.

We agreed there is always a gift in any challenge. ‘People play the victim forever,’ she continued. ‘But who are they kidding? They are only robbing themselves. Life doesn’t owe you anything. Neither does anyone else. Only you owe yourself. So the best way to make the most out of life is to appreciate the gift of it, and choose not to be a victim.’

‘I think I was scared. Yes, I was. I was petrified. My role had come to define me in a way. Of course now as I sit here dying, I see that just being a good person is more than enough in life. Why do we depend so much on the material world to validate us?’ John thought out loud, his random sentences filled with sadness for both past and future generations who wanted everything, basing their importance on what they owned and what they did, rather than on who they were in their hearts.

So if we were all to become a product of our environment, myself included, the best thing I could do was to choose the right environments from here on, ones that would suit the direction I wanted my life to move towards. It was still going to take courage to live the way I wanted, but this new awareness of choosing the right environment would at least make the journey easier. With this consciousness and renewed bravery, I became more mindful of the life I was creating, and the power that lies in the freedom of choice.

If he didn’t try, he couldn’t fail. [...] As the sun rose and set each day, Anthony chose to sleep his life away.

Grace had kept up appearances and lived the way others expected her to, only now realising the choice to do so had always been her own and was based on fear.

‘Look at me now,’ Grace continued. ‘Dying. Dying! How can it be possible I have waited all of these years to be free and independent and now it’s too late?’

I had to let go first. Trying to control the timing and outcome was a terrible waste of energy. My intentions were already out there and I had taken what action I could. My only job now was to get out of the way.

I hated this part of my life, this compulsion to always throw caution to the wind and create such challenging situations for myself, time and time again. Yet it was also addictive. Each time I did this, I challenged my fears head-on and somehow I always, always landed on my feet again. In some ways each leap of faith became harder, as it brought me closer to the core of my deepest fears. Yet each leap also became easier. I had tested my faith to the limit on numerous occasions previously and had gained wisdom and a stronger faith in myself through the process. Life also made more sense to me this way, regardless of how hard it was at times. I just didn’t fit in with the way conventional society works.

J'aurais aimé avoir le courage de vivre comme je le voulais et pas de vivre la vie qu'on attendait de moi.