423 - How to Live Without Regrets

0:00Ever feel like life is racing by and you're stuck wondering, am I making the most of it? this episode is a wake-up call. You'll hear a powerful clip from my conversation with Bronnie Ware, author of the top five regrets of the dying, plus three powerful questions that can completely transform your life if you're brutally honest with yourself. So let's dive in. The level of anguish and frustration that the dying people shared, expressed while they were sharing these regrets, it was impossible not to be affected by. but I also had to trust that that was their life path and at least they were learning these things at the end and some of them made me promise that I would share the wisdom on so that people would learn from their mistakes so if anything I just felt very honoured and and grateful to be that messenger and to also have the lesson given to me repeatedly so that I was actually incorporating it into my own life.

0:56I couldn't teach it without walking it myself. So if anything, it was as heartbreaking as it often was for me. There were plenty of tears in the bathroom with the door closed during those years. But as difficult as that was, it was also far more an honor than anything to work in that role. Let's take a look at regret number one, which is so powerful. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. And I was so moved by Grace's story, specifically when she said, I mean it. Promise this dying woman that you will always be true to yourself, that you will be brave enough to live the way you want to, regardless of what other people will say.

1:43Yeah, Grace still affects me on a day-to-day basis, you know, not always consciously, but those months with her were certainly life-changing. and she had stayed in a marriage that was very unhappy and then as soon as her husband went into a nursing home, she was diagnosed with terminal illness and was quite aggressive. So all of the dreams that she'd put on hold, thinking maybe she'd get some freedom at some stage in her life, were gone. There was nothing she could do about it. And she was just a little, really small lady, but she was fierce in her resolution and her determination to make me promise her.

2:25And yeah, her regret was so tangible. It was shocking. Gosh, this statement is such a big one, huh? I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. I come back to that sentence again and again. Why? Because it's an excellent reminder and a reality check to make sure that no part of my life is on autopilot, that I'm not just doing things out of habit or out of an unhealthy sense of obligation, meaning other people's expectations of who I think they think I should be. So here are the three questions. I want you to grab a journal or open up the notes function on your phone so you can jot these down.

3:11Question number one, what's the one thing that you're doing right now, not because it's true for you, but because you feel it's expected from you? Now, look, it's natural and sometimes it's appropriate to please the people around us, right? There's some aspects of our lives that we do that out of duty and love, and it's a very good thing. And of course, we're social creatures who thrive in community. But, and here's the big but, you do not have to suppress your true nature or ignore your Ignore your deepest heart's desires in order to be loved and accepted. Our time here on earth is limited. So please, my friend, do not waste it chasing approval and ignoring what you really want.

3:54Okay? Here's question number two. What's one small change you'd like to make to be more true to yourself and to your heart's desire? And then question number three. What's an action step you can take right now to move in that direction? Once again, I want you to be super honest with yourself. This is just between you and you. Don't overthink it. Don't overanalyze it. Trust your heart and write your answers down because I promise you, seeing your answers and your feelings on paper can really help you process this and start to move towards action in a really healthy and productive way. So with that, I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

4:34And most important, stay on your game and keep going for your dreams because yes, the world really does need that very special gift that only you have. Thank you so much for listening, and I'll catch you next time on the Marie Forleo Podcast.