When time runs out, people don’t beg for more meetings, promotions, or likes. They grieve the lives they were too afraid to live. Over and over, the dying confessed the same wounds: they wished they’d had the courage to be themselves instead of who others expected; they wished they hadn’t worked so hard and missed their children growing up; they wished they’d spoken their true feelings instead of keeping the peace while their hearts quietly broke.
They longed for old friends they’d let drift away, realizing too late that shared memories mattered more than old grudges or busy schedules. And perhaps the saddest confession of all: they wished they’d allowed themselves to be happier, instead of staying trapped in fear, habit, and pretending. Their regrets are not meant to scare you, but to shake you awake. You still have time. Change one thing today.
