🌿 The 7 Regrets Most People Have at the End of Life and How to Avoid Them
At some point, every soul looks toward the horizon and asks,
‘Am I truly living, or just passing through?’
But remember, it’s never too late to change your answer.
by: Esbenia O.
The Wake-Up Call We Don’t Expect
As we grow older, whether we’re parents, grandparents, or somewhere in between, most of us begin to sense life speeding up. The years that once felt endless now slip quietly between milestones, school drop-offs, work deadlines, and family obligations.
At some point, we all start to reflect: Am I living the life I truly want?
Have I spent too much time doing what’s expected instead of what sets my soul on fire?
Am I making space for the things that really matter?
What will I regret if I keep waiting for the “right time”?
Some of us find the courage to adjust before it’s too late. Others are still waiting for the “right time.” But when is the right time?
Unfortunately, it often takes an unexpected event to shake us awake. A loss, a diagnosis, a moment that reminds us tomorrow isn’t promised. For me, that moment came when I lost my father. He was only 57. It was a heartbreak that rearranged my perspective. From that day forward, I made it my mission to live life fully and with no regrets.
That doesn’t mean it’s been a straight path. When I became a mother, I hit pause, but even then, I made sure our children saw more than the four walls of daily life. I wanted them to see beyond: other cultures, other ways of living, the beauty of nature, and the power of connection.
And when our first child left for college, I felt the shift. The beginning of a new chapter. The one where I finally found the courage to step into who I had been chasing all along: Adventurous Me.
As I’ve guided women through their own transformations, one thing has become clear: nobody wants to look back and realize they spent their life playing it safe.
Below are the seven regrets most often shared by people near the end of their lives, and the lessons they hold for how to live more fully now.
1. “I wish I had lived a life true to myself, not the one others expected of me.”
This is the number one regret of the dying. Too many people realize they spent their lives following expectations instead of dreams, living on autopilot rather than with intention.
Somewhere along the way, we start building lives around other people’s comfort zones and call it stability. But deep down, we know when we’re betraying our own truth.
Ask yourself: Whose version of “enough” am I living?
Start small. Say yes to something that lights you up, even if it makes no sense to anyone else.
✨ Courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s choosing authenticity anyway.
2. “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”
Work gives us purpose and structure, but when it becomes our entire identity, it crowds out the things that make us human. We say we’re “providing for our families,” but often what our families crave most is us.
Ask yourself: If my time ended tomorrow, what would I wish I’d made more space for?
Reframe success:
It’s not how much you produce but how deeply you live, how often you laugh, and how fully you show up for the people you love.
3. “I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”
Unspoken words weigh the heaviest. Whether it’s love, gratitude, or forgiveness, we hold back to avoid discomfort, but silence becomes its own kind of ache.
Ask yourself: What words am I holding onto that someone deserves to hear?
Speak from the heart while you can.
Vulnerability doesn’t make you weak; it makes you real, and it frees you from the “what-ifs” that follow silence.
4. “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”
Life’s seasons pull us in different directions, and suddenly years pass. But the friendships built on laughter, shared memories, and long conversations are what keep our hearts steady when everything else changes.
Ask yourself: Who crosses my mind often but rarely my call list?
You don’t need a reason to reach out.
“Thinking of you” is enough to reopen a door, and sometimes that one message becomes a bridge back to joy.
5. “I wish I had let myself be happier.”
We treat happiness like a reward we’ll claim after we’ve earned it. After the promotion, after the kids grow up, after life slows down. But joy doesn’t wait for permission; it appears in the smallest ordinary moments.
Ask yourself: What simple things make me feel alive, and how often am I saying yes to them?
Notice the small moments: morning light, shared laughter, a quiet walk. Happiness lives there.
6. “I wish I had taken more chances.”
Fear of failure keeps too many dreams locked away. Most people don’t regret the chances they took but the ones they talked themselves out of.
Ask yourself: What would I do if I wasn’t afraid to start over?
Start small. Take one step toward the thing that excites and scares you in equal measure.
💫 Because a safe life may feel comfortable, but it rarely feels alive.
7. “I wish I had traveled more.”
Nobody looks back and says, “I wish I had traveled less.”
Travel isn’t about checking countries off a list. It’s about remembering what it feels like to be awake in your own life again. It’s the quiet moments that change you: the sound of your breath on a mountain trail, the kindness of a stranger, the sunrise that catches you off guard. Those moments strip away the noise and remind you what truly matters.
Ask yourself: When was the last time I felt awe?
Whether it’s a hike close to home or a journey across the world, travel doesn’t just show you new places; it shows you new pieces of yourself.
Ready to plan your next adventure? Don’t wait for “someday.” Find your next getaway and start living it today.
• Explore last-minute trips at Expedia or Booking.com.
• Browse meaningful tours in my Viator Shop.
• Download the GetYourGuide App and use code GRATEFUL4LIVINGLIFECOACH5 for 5% off any tour.
🌺 Reflection: Live Before Life Passes You By
The truth is, regret doesn’t appear overnight — it grows quietly in the spaces where we keep postponing what matters most.
So pause today and ask yourself:
“Am I living a life that my future self will thank me for?”
Because the life you want isn’t waiting somewhere far away. It’s taking shape right here, in the choices you make today — in the courage to say yes, the grace to slow down, and the willingness to live fully while you can.
Written by Esbenia “Beni” Overbeck. Founder of Grateful for Living, Life & Adventure Travel Coach helping women find clarity, courage, and purpose through the transformational power of the outdoors.
#GratefulForLiving #AdventureHeals #WomenWhoTravel #LifeIsNow #NoRegrets
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