The Cost of Waiting
It has been a few days since I finished reading The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware and my overall feeling is: melancholy.
My mind keeps wandering back to the stories of dying people who waited too long for something in order to live the life they wanted. Women waited for their husbands to retire to travel, or for their spouse to die before they could enjoy life. I know people in my own life like this. I was (and likely still am) a person like this.
Women are taught to put the needs of others first and to not rock the boat, but this can lead to a delay in taking action… sometimes that change happens too late or not at all.
Tentative Action is Better Than No Action
I know my life isn’t as good right now as I want it to be. I want to take action, but am confused how to do so. I see this as a small victory from where I have been in the past. I was one of those women who waited to live her best life until it was too late. The only difference is, instead of dying I got better.
This is a small consolation to me now that I am still not living my best life, despite taking actions to do so. Decisions aren’t instantaneous and progress is slow, but I am proud of myself for no longer being a “waiting woman”. I’m a confused woman, sure. A slow woman, yes. But there has been a mental shift in me the past few years to no longer wait.
Allowing Momentum to Build
Part of me wanted to write this post so that I can check back on this at the end of the year. Hopefully by then, I am like a shark swimming purposefully towards her goals. Right now, I am a guppy or maybe a turtle. Sure it’s slow, but I am moving.
And so, I finish this post with a challenge to myself and anyone who needs to hear this: What lifelong goals or joy are you waiting on? What actions can you take? If there is no one to do it with you can you do it alone? If you can’t do it fully can you do it partially?
I would love to be in a group of people who commit to pursuing the goals in life that they aren’t willing to die without trying. We can develop this boldness together. There is bravery in numbers.
Messy Bun Book Lover
(Originally posted on Mar. 12, 2025)
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware is available here.
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