Life

7 Common Things People Regret at the End of Their Lives

Published

9 years ago

Jul 23, 2016

Shawn Lim

We all have seen people grow old and we know it very well that one day, our time will come too. No one wants to live their lives with regrets at the end. If you do not want to have regrets when you grow old, you should do the best you can when you are young and capable.

Studies have shown that there are a couple of things dying people regret that they did not do when they have the opportunity and when they have the time.

Here are 7 things you can do in life so that you will never regret at the end:

1. Pursue your dreams and accomplish more goals

One of the main reasons people regret when they get old is that they did not go for what they want in life. Everyone has a dream, but not everyone will do something about their dreams. Do you have a dream?

If you do, commit yourself, follow your dreams and pursue them. Set more goals and go all in or all out. You do not have to hold yourself to play safe. So never get regret that you did not go for your dreams or what you want in life. If you want to travel the world, plan and do it. If you want to start a business, create a plan and do it.

2. Spend more time with people you care about

Another most common regret when people grow old is that they feel they never spend enough time with people they care about. We are human beings and humans tend to be emotional. We care for other people and we just cannot live alone by ourselves.

If you love someone, tell them. You do not have to wait until it’s too late. Do you have friends that you appreciate? Then say thank you to them and tell them how much you care. And when you care more about those around you, they will return the favor and care more about you.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” –John F. Kennedy

3. Express yourself more

Transparency is very important in your relationship, whether it is with your soulmate or with your family members. You should tell them upfront how you feel.

Holding up anger or resentment is not going to do you any good. Anger and resentment can deteriorate your health. Of course, I’m not asking you to pick a fight with people by telling how much you hate them.

However, you should confront your feelings and express them in a more constructive and a positive way. A couple cannot grow their relationship if they hide their feelings from each other. Please understand that this does not only happen to couples, it can happen in every relationship you experience, be it with your colleagues or with your boss.

4. Learn and explore more

This is very obvious; to live a fulfilling life without regrets, you must learn and explore more while you can. Do you ever have the urge to learn something new such as a foreign language or how to play guitar? If you have, you should go ahead and explore more. Learn the new skills and try to discover yourself with something new.

It is the moment you experienced in life that counts, not physical items. So do more of things that you love. Discover your passions and follow them. Never wait until you are old only to think that you should have done this or you should have done that. It will be too late by then.

5. Take care of your finances

This is one area where most people fail to excel in life. Most people never learn how to take care of their finances; as a result, they live in poverty after they retired. Do not let this happen to you. If you do not want to be broke when you are old, learn to manage your finances right now.

Save consistent each month or save a portion of the income that you receive. Stop spending on items that you don’t really need. No one wants to live in mediocrity and broke when they get old, right? Thus, learn to handle your money now.

6. Choose to be happy

Do you know that happiness is a choice? You can choose to be happy or you can choose to feel sad right at this moment. It is simple, you just need to direct your thoughts and emotions. Think about something happy and you will feel happy. On the other hand, when you think about something sad, you will feel depressed almost instantly.

Life is short, you should experience more joy and thrill every day. Every minute you spend thinking about how bad things can be or how depressing your life is, you are wasting the moments you can be happy.

“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” – Dalai Lama

7. Live to the fullest and never waste time

Bruce Lee once said, “If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made of”. Stop living in regrets and start making every minute count. When you play, enjoy it to the fullest. When you work, work your best and create a masterpiece out of your work. And when you live, live to the fullest so that you will never regret at the end.

Yesterday was history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift that is why we call it the “present”. So enjoy every moment you can have right now, live today as your last day and make yourself alive again.

Decide today that you are going to live your life with passion. Pursue your dreams, spend more time with people you love, express yourself and explore more, manage your finances, be happy and enjoy every moment you have right now.

What would you add to this list so that you don’t have regrets at the end? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Shawn Lim

Shawn Lim is the creator of StunningMotivation.com (https://StunningMotivation.com) and he’s a passionate blogger in the personal development industry who has inspired thousands to pursue their dreams and follow their passions. You can learn more about him plus download a free copy of his guidebook, Reach Your Goals on his website.

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Life

How Learning the Skill of Hope Can Change Everything

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life

Published

2 weeks ago

Jan 6, 2025

Daniel Bell

Image Credit: Midjourney

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life.

Wishful thinking, on the other hand, is like having dreams in the sky without a ladder to climb, having a destination without a map, or trying to operate a jet-engine airplane without instructions. It sounds nice but is impossible to realize. You don’t have what you need to make it happen!

What Real Hope Is

Real hope is actionable, practical, and realistic. Better yet, it’s feasible and can be learned.

One popular approach is Hope Theory. This concept is used by colleges to study how hope impacts students’ academic performance. Researchers found that students with high levels of hope achieve better grades and are more likely to graduate compared to those with less hope.

Hope can be broken down into two components:

Pathways – The “how to” of hope. This is where people think of and establish plans for achieving their goals.
Agency – The “I can” of hope. This is the belief that the person can accomplish their goals.

Does Hope Really Work?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, hope as a noun is defined as: “desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.”

As humans, we are wired to crave fulfillment. We have the ability to envision it and, through hope, make it a reality.

My Experience with Hope

For 13 years, I was a hopeless human. During my time working at a luxury hotel as a front desk agent earning $11.42 per hour, I felt the sting of hopelessness the most.

The regret of feeling my time was being stolen from me lingered every time I clocked in. Eventually, I decided to do something about it.

I gave myself permission to hope for something better. I began establishing pathways to success and regained agency by learning from self-help books and seeking mentorship.

Because I took action toward something I desired, I now feel more hope and joy than I ever felt hopelessness. Hope changed me.

Hope Actually Improves Your Life

Wishful thinking doesn’t work, and false hope is equally ineffective. Real hope, however, is directly tied to success in all areas of life.

Studies show that hopeful people tend to:

Demonstrate better problem-solving skills
Cultivate healthier relationships
Maintain stronger motivation to achieve goals
Exhibit better work ethic
Have a positive outlook on life

These benefits can impact work life, family life, habit-building, mental health, physical health, and spiritual practice. Imagine how much better your life could be by applying real hope to all these areas.

How to Develop the Skill to Hope

As acclaimed French writer Jean Giono wrote in The Man Who Planted Trees:
“There are also times in life when a person has to rush off in pursuit of hopefulness.”

If you are at one of those times, here are ways to develop the skill to hope:

1. Dream Again

To cultivate hope, you need to believe in its possibility. Start by:

Reflecting on what you’re passionate about, your values, and what you want to achieve.
Writing your dreams down, sharing them with someone encouraging, or saying them out loud.
Creating a vision board to make your dreams feel more tangible.

Dreams are the foundation of hope—they give you something meaningful to aspire toward.

2. Create an Environment of Hope

Set Goals: Write down your goals and create a plan to achieve them.
Visualize Success: Use inspirational quotes, photos, or tools like dumbbells or canvases to remind yourself of your goals.
Build a Resource Library: Collect books, eBooks, or audiobooks about hope and success to inspire you.

An environment that fosters hope will keep you motivated, resilient, and focused.

3. Face the Challenges

Don’t avoid challenges—overcoming them builds confidence. Participating in challenging activities, like strategic games, can enhance your problem-solving skills and reinforce hope.

4. Commit to Wisdom

Seek wisdom from those who have achieved what you aspire to. Whether through books, blogs, or social media platforms, learn from their journeys. Wisdom provides the foundation for real, actionable hope.

5. Take Note of Small Wins

Reflecting on past victories can fuel your hope for the future. Ask yourself:

What challenges have I already overcome?
How did I feel when I succeeded?

By remembering those feelings of happiness, relief, or satisfaction, your brain will naturally adopt a more hopeful mindset.

Conclusion

Hope is more than wishful thinking—it’s a powerful skill that can transform your life. By dreaming again, creating a hopeful environment, facing challenges, seeking wisdom, and celebrating small wins, you can develop the real hope necessary for success in all aspects of life.

Let hope guide you toward a brighter, more fulfilling future.

Life

The 5 Stages of a Quarter-Life Crisis & What You Can Do

A quarter-life crisis isn’t a sign you’ve lost your way; it’s a sign you’re fighting for a life that’s truly yours.

Published

4 weeks ago

Dec 27, 2024

CT Dool

Image Credit: Midjourney

The quarter-life crisis is a well-defined set of stages—Trapped, Checking Out, Separation, Exploration, Rebuilding—one goes through in breaking free from feelings of meaninglessness, lack of fulfillment, and misalignment with purpose. I detail the stages and interweave my story below. (more…)

Life

Here’s The Thing About Learning, Unlearning, and Relearning

Stop hoarding and start sharing your knowledge and wealth for the benefit of humankind

Published

2 months ago

Nov 21, 2024

M.S. Rao

Image Credit: Midjourney

Few people have the habit of hoarding their wealth without spending. However, it limits their motivation as they tend to get into their comfort zones. When people start spending money, then there will be depletion in their coffers. (more…)