Nurses working in palliative care looking after the aging in their final days, can be classified as “gods” work. They dedicate their life towards their longevity. They lovingly care for the patients coming a day closer to their final breath.
It’s their professional obligation to prolong life, at times ultimately becoming attached to those they care for. They care about their sadness or regrets.
Their duty becomes assisting these patients as they work through all of the various emotions involved in the process.
The denial, anger, regret, guilt, fear, and ultimately acceptance. What they discovered is a common theme among all, when the elderly are facing their mortality.
10. Not Having More Fun Not Taking Risks
What mommy always said was “Be Careful!” it’s dangerous, so most lived a life of caution. Instead of working that dream job, we take a more stable yet boring job.
We choose a mundane life, as costs such as shoes for the kids, the mortgage, debt, and the annual vacation aren’t going to pay for themselves.
Nearing demise however, one of the most common regrets is, they didn’t take a bigger chance, a risk in their life. To shoot for the moon.
What most did was cautiously calculate the hours, days, and the weeks turning into years until they retired, working a job they hated.
9. Choosing To Be Happy
What’s known is being happy is a decision we make ourselves. This however doesn’t often become obvious or apparent during the hazards of living ones life, battling the challenges that are faced.
What most regret as they grow older is they lived their life in fear, and chose not to be carefree. They took the easy way out, and didn’t take a chance on happiness.
The refusal or inability to break old habits and protective behaviors, remaining boring. This often resulting in taking things to seriously, while not laughing or enjoying life to it’s fullest.
8. Not Forgiving Others
Failing to deal with a rift, a sibling rivalry, fighting with friends, is often one of the biggest regrets one has when growing older.
What they feel is they should have spoken to and resolved any differences they had with their siblings or friends, reached out and patched things up.
Their ego prevented them to do so however. They now realize they were wrong for being so stubborn, obnoxious, this to everyone concerned, and now it’s too late.
They wished they had buried the hatchet, and forgiven all their wrongdoings and misunderstandings.
7. Ignoring True Feelings
How many times do you just bite your tongue, remain invisible, this even when you know it’s wrong, or to just keep the peace.
What most will do is never speak up, say what they really think, as they just bury their feelings, scared of being hurt or hurting others.
If you think there’s injustice, that something’s wrong, then have the guts to say so. Otherwise you’ll be taken advantage of, or be taken for granted.
Don’t sacrifice your comfort or security, this at the expense of others. What you need is to say your piece, be brave and be honest.
6. Caring What Others Think
What’s surprising is how much emphasis most place on their exterior persona. They care what other people think of them, or how they’re judged.
Then it’s no surprise most who grow older, wished they didn’t care so much on what others thought of them.
This could be in front of complete strangers or acquaintances, just to maintain their image. They lived a lie, lived their life just to please others, this rather than themselves.
What others think about us isn’t important so who cares, while doing so can interfere with our personal success and happiness.
5. Not Keeping Up With Old Acquaintances
What old friendships are is golden. What those growing older feel is sorrow knowing they should of kept in touch with their friends. They now realize they’re incapable of doing so.
So they look back with regret, citing they were “too busy” to seek out the friendships they adored when younger.
They allowed life to get in the way, and all of their most cherished or oldest friendships went on the back burner.
Then it became too late or impossible to track them down and reconnect with them. In the end, what’s cherished the most are the friendships.
4. Being Honest With Themselves
What most will do is comply with society, to not be weird but instead be normal, to be part of the crowd and fit in.
We bend and alter our life to the wishes and the expectations of others. What most regret however, is not being true to themselves, not pursing their honest feelings.
What many in their final days regret, is they didn’t have the courage to live a life that was completely true to them, to express themselves.
No one wants to face the end of their days with unanswered questions, unfulfilled dreams, wondering what if.
3. Worked Way Too Much
We go to school and get educated to find the best job we can and become a slave to the almighty dollar. We get married and work hard until we retire.
We dedicate our entire life to work, to earn a living, so one day we can leave that job we hate, while saying “Is that all there is to life?”
What most will do is make their career, the feature activity of their adult life, and then wonder what happened.
What most missed was enjoying their children grow up, as they buried their head in their job. This rather than relishing the joys of raising a family, and connecting with them.
Instead, what they focused on was their career, and the slave driver that is earning a living.
2. The Love That Got Away
What unrequited love can be is a tender painful wound, once we look back with “regret” when it comes to our past romances.
Perhaps we were dumped, or cheated on by someone we adored, who we knew was “the one.” Maybe we ourselves called it quits, because everyone told us to do so.
Regardless, focusing on all of the “what ifs” when it comes to love and romance, is a bitter pointless pill.
One which can only damage the current love that surrounds you. We need to realize everything happens for a reason.
1. Standing Up For Themselves
What most still harbor is shame and guilt, when they failed to stand up for themselves. This when not responding to the “bullies” or the taunting they’ve encountered.
This could of been that big angry kid at school, or that demanding egotistic boss at work. What all this hate and hostility does is reflects inwards and fester.
What the elderly will then dwell on is they didn’t have the courage to stand up for themselves, and fight back.
What then happens is these past experiences impacts their behavior and confidence once they become elderly.