18/08/2025
It all began with a simple essay. Bronnie Ware, an Australian palliative care nurse, once shared online the most common regrets she heard from people in their final days. What she thought was a heartfelt reflection on her experience soon went viral, reaching millions across the world. The raw honesty of the dying had touched something universal in us all; our yearning to live fully before it’s too late. That short piece became one of the most widely read essays on the internet, and from it grew this deeply moving book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.
The messages in this book are timeless and urgently important, serving as a wake-up call in our fast-paced, achievement-obsessed world. By distilling the regrets of those who've run out of time, Ware urges us to reassess our priorities before it's too late—focusing on authenticity, relationships, and joy over societal pressures or material success. This book combines heartfelt anecdotes with practical advice, making abstract regrets feel personal and actionable; and it fosters self-compassion, helping us break cycles of regret through small, intentional changes. Ultimately, it's a guide to dying without remorse by living with intention, reminding us that clarity often comes too late—unless we heed these lessons now.
Here are the five regrets she shares, each carrying its own timeless truth:
1. “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
Perhaps the most haunting regret of all. Many of Bronnie’s patients realized, often too late, that they had spent their lives trying to meet others’ expectations—family, society, or tradition—while burying their own dreams. Their “someday” never came. This regret calls us to examine our own lives: Are we making choices out of fear or duty, or are we daring to live authentically? It’s a reminder to take risks, follow passions, and say yes to the things that matter most before time runs out.
2. “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”
Work gave many patients a sense of security and identity, but in the end, what they longed for wasn’t another paycheck or promotion—it was more time. Time with children who grew up too fast. Time with partners who had longed for their presence. Time for simple joys that were pushed aside. This regret is a quiet alarm bell for all of us caught in the endless chase of busyness. Success loses its shine if it costs us the very relationships and experiences that give life meaning.
3. “I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”
So many had lived lives of silence—suppressing their true emotions to keep peace, avoid conflict, or fit in. But unspoken words build walls, leaving relationships shallow or broken. In their final days, Bronnie’s patients wished they had spoken up more: told people they loved them, said no when they meant no, voiced their dreams instead of hiding them. This regret urges us to live with honesty and vulnerability—because withholding our truth only robs us of connection.
4. “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”
Friendship is one of life’s greatest treasures, yet it is often neglected when life gets busy. Bronnie’s patients shared how easy it had been to let friendships fade over the years, only to realize in the end how irreplaceable those bonds were. In the quiet moments of dying, many longed for familiar laughter, old stories, and the comfort of people who truly knew them. This regret is a gentle push to pick up the phone, write that message, and nurture the relationships that nourish our souls.
5. “I wish I had let myself be happier.”
Perhaps the most surprising regret: happiness, they realized, had always been within their grasp. Yet so many chose worry, fear, and routine instead of joy. They had waited for “better times” or assumed happiness was something external, when in truth it was a choice they could have made all along. In their final reflections, Bronnie’s patients saw how much unnecessary suffering they carried—and how simple it could have been to choose laughter, gratitude, and lightness.
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying is a freeing book. It shows us the paths others wished they had taken, giving us the chance to choose differently today. Bronnie Ware offers us not just stories of endings, but guideposts for living a life we’ll be proud of when our own time comes.
The question is: will we listen to the wisdom of the dying—and start living differently now?
BOOK: https://amzn.to/4mlF9Fq
Enjoy the audiobook with a membership trial using the same link.
