When my clients’ people of spirit come forward, they often talk about regrets and unfinished business. When that happens, I remember reading this article written by a hospice nurse: “The Top Five Regrets People Make On Their Deathbed.” Are:

1) I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life that others expected of me.

I hear this a lot from my psychic development students. Many of them wish they had learned to develop, and then trust, their intuitive abilities much earlier. Instead, they listened to their parents / siblings / friends / spouse / school teacher / religious leader / (choose one or more) and convinced themselves that their perceptual perceptions were irrelevant.

Think about it: how many times have you promised yourself that you would take that vacation, learn a new skill, try to write that novel, or start that exercise regimen? It is never too late until it is too late. As Nike says, “do it!”

2) I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

I applaud the people who work hard to support their family and even take a second job to make life easier for their children. But how much money buys enough happiness, and when does the need for financial security lead to insecurity?

One of my clients, Raj, was so worried about not making enough money that he suffered a heart attack. His hard work was for an admirable reason: He wanted to provide comfort for his family of five once he left. “But Raj,” I said, worried that he had to take time off from work to regain health, “what’s the rush? You haven’t left yet!” Even her father, who touched her soul, told her to stop and smell the curry. (His father was quite the joker, and quite wise!)

3) I wish I had the courage to express my feelings.

Moira made an appointment because she wanted to know about her mother. I concentrated, then I felt the presence of an older man who began to tell me about a collection of coins. “And he shows me a striped tie that you gave him for Christmas when you were a child. He thanks you.”

“That’s not my father,” Moira said sternly. “He collected coins. But he had never recognized anyone’s kindness towards him.”

“But now he’s acknowledging it,” I said. “He’s saying that he loves you now because he couldn’t say it while he was alive.”

Moira snorted. “It’s a bit late for that,” he said and again asked for news from his mother. I felt her father’s presence shrink a bit, but he still stayed close, waiting for another chance to connect with his estranged daughter.

4) I wish I had kept in touch with my friends.

The lyrics to this traditional Girl Guides song speak so eloquently of this: “Make new friends but keep old ones. One is silver and the other is gold.” That’s because close friends and loving family members are the ones who will support you in times of need.

5) I wish I could have been happier.

When was the last time you heard a good joke? Did you repeat it to others? Why not?

Remember that old Mary Tyler Moore show about the clown’s funeral, and the mourners couldn’t stop laughing? How wonderful! I hope people will laugh a smile or two at mine. Because then I will know (and you can be sure that I will be observing the events of the spirit) that I made people laugh. We all need to be silly sometimes.

Now what about you? Have you regretted it lately? It is never too late to correct some doubts!