1. EachPod

What if Today Was Your Last Day? How to Live More Fully in the Time We Have Left

Author
Nicole Gaitan
Published
Fri 22 Aug 2025
Episode Link
None

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Bronnie Ware, a palliative care nurse, deeply impacted by her patients’ last reflections, identified five regrets common at life’s end. These include:

  1. “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
  2. “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”
  3. “I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.”
  4. “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”
  5. “I wish that I had let myself be happier.”

Link for listeners: You can read the original article, Regrets of the Dying, by Bronnie Ware here: [Regrets of the Dying – Bronnie Ware]
bronnieware.com

3. Research & Psychology Insights

Living Intentionally Enhances Well-Being

  • Setting Intentions = Better Health & Happiness
    A 2021 study by Eric S. Kim and colleagues finds that people with clear intentions or a “micro purpose” experience longer life, better sleep, more happiness, and less loneliness
    Psychology Today.
  • Intentional Kindness Amplifies Joy
    A 2023 study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General by Kumar and Epley showed that performing small acts of kindness brings more happiness to recipients than givers expect
    Psychology Today.

Paths to a Good Life

  • Three Dimensions of Well-Being
    Contemporary research by Oishi and colleagues outlines three major paths to a “good life”:
    • Happy Life: marked by joy and comfort
    • Meaningful Life: rooted in purpose and connection
    • Psychologically Rich Life: built on novelty, transformation, and managing discomfort
  • A psychologically rich life, though sometimes disquieting, can be deeply rewarding.
    The Washington Post

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