A nurse in palliative care, Bronnie Ware, has recorded the five top regrets of dying patients as listed in an article in the British newspaper, The Guardian. They are:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Apparently, we must intentionally direct our lives toward the more important values. Otherwise, the necessary but less important tasks will overwhelm us.