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Bronnie Ware Quote on How Regret Is Always More Painful Than Courage

    “Regardless of how much courage it can take to live true to your own path, it will never be as painful as lying on your deathbed with the regret of not having tried.”

    Bronnie Ware

    Beyond the Quote (21/365)

    Bronnie Ware is a palliative nurse who writes about her experiences in sharing people’s last moments alive with them.  You can imagine the power and potency of such moments.  In many cases, this experience of being with a person who is passing is outsourced to palliative nurses, like Ware, and isn’t something that many people experience first-hand in their lifetimes.  Being with somebody who is about to die, however, might teach us more about living than anything we might ever read in a book or hear in a conversation.  Until then, hearing what Ware has learned might be one of our next best (and most important) options.

    Read More »Bronnie Ware Quote on How Regret Is Always More Painful Than Courage

      “I would say, that I am applying the ‘butterfly wing’ theory to my everyday life.  It’s a kind of moral dictum, moral responsibility to keep in mind that whatever I do this second affects what the next second will be.  So I try not to do anything negative, which is my best insurance that the world will be better next second, or at least not worse.  But of course, my positive action may be undermined by 100 negative actions of others and so it may mean nothing.  But I still have to follow that dictum.  You can call it optimism.” ~ Jonas Mekas, via Happiness is a Choice You Make (Page 212)

        “If you’re not the leading man in your own drama, you’re a bit player in someone else’s—and you might well be assigned to play a dismal, lonely and tragic part.” ~ Jordan Peterson, via 12 Rules for Life (Page 238)

          “If things are not going well for you—well, that might be because, as the most cynical of aphorisms has it, life sucks, and then you die.  Before your crisis impels you to that hideous conclusion, however, you might consider the following: Life doesn’t have the problem.  You do.  At least that realization leaves you with some options.  If your life is not going well, perhaps it is your current knowledge that is insufficient, not life itself.  Perhaps your value structure needs some serious retooling.  Perhaps what you want is blinding you to what else could be.  Perhaps you are holding on to your desires, in the present, so tightly that you cannot see anything else—even what you truly need.” ~ Jordan Peterson, via 12 Rules for Life (Page 94)

          12 Rules for Life [Book]

            12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson

            By: Jordan B. Peterson

            From this Book: 72 Quotes

            Book Overview:  What does everyone in the modern world need to know? Renowned psychologist Jordan B. Peterson’s answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research.  Humorous, surprising and informative, Dr. Peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awaits those who criticize too easily, and why you should always pet a cat when you meet one on the street. Dr. Peterson journeys broadly, discussing discipline, freedom, adventure and responsibility, distilling the world’s wisdom into 12 practical and profound rules for life. 12 Rules for Life shatters the modern commonplaces of science, faith and human nature, while transforming and ennobling the mind and spirit of its readers.

            Buy from Amazon! Listen on Audible!

            Not enough time to read/listen to the whole book? Check out the 21 minute Blinkist version of 12 Rules of Life and get the key insights here for free.

            Post(s) Inspired by this Book:

              “Your life is not f*cked up because of overt racists or hidden systemic racism.  You aren’t missing out on opportunities, making sh*t money, and getting evicted because of America or Donald f*cking Trump or because your ancestors were slaves or because some people hate immigrants or Jews or harass women or believe gay people are going to hell.  If any of that sh*t is stopping you from excelling in life, I’ve got some news.  You are stopping you!” ~ David Goggins, Can’t Hurt Me

                “I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.” I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~ Maya Angelou

                  "Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know." ~ Pema Chodron