7/6/26
“It is better to risk failure than regret later.”
Most of us have this thought, ‘I wish I could have done this earlier..’
Across global discussions and studies, the top regrets usually involve, Playing it too safe, Failing to pursue personal dreams, Not expressing feelings to loved ones, and Prioritizing work over relationships
In 1888, a man read his own obituary when he was still alive.
A French newspaper accidentally published Alfred Nobel’s death notice.
The headline called him a merchant of destruction due to his business of producer of Dynamite.
Nobel got something almost nobody gets: a preview of his legacy while he still had time to change it.
He rewrote his will. He gave away 94% of everything he had and the ‘Nobel Prize’ was born.
You don’t need a newspaper to print your obituary, you just need to ask yourself one question:
“If I were on my deathbed today, what would I regret?”
I did this exercise and I call it the Deathbed Regret List.
I wrote down 10 things I know I’d regret if I let them slip away:
1. Leaving my family without financial security.
2. Missing my children’s magic moments
3. Not spending enough time with my family and friends.
4. Not having the courage to take the leap.
5. Not taking on challenging quests.
6. Allowing meaningful relationships to atrophy.
7. Letting my body and mind deteriorate.
8. Allowing technology to destroy my presence.
9. Losing sight of the beauty of enough.
10. Not leaving a legacy of being a Kind man
Jeff Bezos used a version of this when he left his hedge fund to start Amazon.
He projected himself forward, looked back, and asked if he’d regret not trying.
The answer was obvious.
You probably won’t get to read your own obituary.
But you can do this exercise today.
Project yourself to the end, Look back,
What would you regret?
Then snap back to now and feel the gratitude that comes from knowing you still have time.
Accomplish your list, one action at a time & stay blessed forever.