…great title for a guaranteed “feel good” post, right? Happy Monday, folks.

Despite the morbid undertones of this post title, I hope it inspires you to take the steps to not have these regrets at the end of your life.

Recently I watched this video from Ted Talk on “the game that can give you 10 extra years of your life”. The speaker, Jane McGonigal, opens up about her struggles with suicide and depression. During her speech, McGonigal mentions the top 5 regrets of the dying:

I wish I hadn’t worked so hard
I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends
I wish I had let myself be happier
I wish I’d had the courage to express my true self
I wish I lived a life true to my dreams, instead of what others expected of me.

Interesting.

She goes on to talk about post-traumatic growth (not to be confused with post-traumatic stress), and how, in some cases, suffering trauma enables individuals to drastically transform their quality of life. She outlines 5 characteristics of people who have experienced post-traumatic growth:

My priorities have changed. I’m not afraid to do what makes me happy
I feel closer to my friends and family
I understand myself better. I know who I really am now
I have a new sense of meaning and purpose in my life.
I’m able to focus on my goals and dreams.

Notice any parallels between the top 5 regrets of the dying and those who have experienced post-traumatic growth?

Jane says that we don’t necessarily need to experience trauma in order to achieve these benefits. Instead, we can develop four kinds of strength or resilience that contribute to post-traumatic growth.

Want to know what they are?

You’ll have to watch the video to find out.