Motivational video: It sounds like a lot, I know. But give me just six minutes, and you’ll get ten years of your life back.
Watch Motivational video: Get 10 years of your life back in just 6 minutes on YouTube here https://youtu.be/oKTl5SSzNMM
In this motivational video I had been browsing online when I stumbled across a book.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I have a thing for books that shake me to my core. And this one? It hit like a sledgehammer.
The question that stood out the most: Do the dying know more about living than we do?
The title alone made me pause: The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware.
If you want to check out the book here is the link to it on Amazon https://amzn.to/4juE8K6
The Wake-Up Call in a Package
Recently, I found myself in Krabi, Thailand.
If you’ve never been, picture this: golden beaches that look straight out of a postcard, emerald waters so clear you can see your soul in them, and food that could make even the pickiest eater weep tears of joy.
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Oh, and did I mention the sunsets? They don’t just happen—they perform, like an artist painting the sky in real time.
I had been living there for three months, soaking it all in. Life felt good. Then, a package arrived—and with it, a slap of reality I didn’t see coming.
The Question That Changed Everything
I had been browsing online when I stumbled across a book. The title alone made me pause: The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware, it was the inspiration for this motivational video.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I have a thing for books that shake me to my core. And this one? It hit like a sledgehammer.
The question that stood out the most: Do the dying know more about living than we do?
I mean, think about it. At the end of the road, when there are no more distractions, no more excuses, no more “I’ll get to that later”… that’s when life finally makes sense. That’s when people realize what truly mattered all along.
So, I ordered the book. And when it arrived, I devoured it in one sitting.
The Five Regrets That Could Steal a Decade From You
The book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware that inspired this motivational video, was written by a palliative nurse who spent years with people in their final days. She listened to their confessions, their unspoken wishes, and the deep regret that lingered as they faced the end.
Here’s what they wished they had done differently:
1. “I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
This one hit hard. So many of us are living our lives on autopilot—checking off the boxes society gave us. Graduate. Get a job. Buy a house. Start a family. Retire. But what if that’s not your dream? What if deep down, you crave adventure, creativity, freedom?
Ask yourself: Whose life are you really living?
2. “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”
Now, don’t get me wrong—hard work is great. It builds character. It gets you places. But what’s the point if you’re so busy grinding that you forget to actually live?
Too many people wake up one day and realize they traded their best years for a paycheck. Their kids grew up without them. Their dreams collected dust. And their health deteriorated.
Remember: Your job will replace you in a week, but your loved ones will never get that time back.
3. “I wish I had the courage to express my feelings.”
How many times have you swallowed your words, afraid of rejection, afraid of confrontation? How many times have you held back an “I love you” or a “You hurt me” or even a “This isn’t working for me”?
Keeping things bottled up doesn’t protect us—it traps us. Speak your truth while you still can.
4. “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.”
Life gets busy. We move, we change jobs, we start families. But true friendships? They are rare, golden threads that weave meaning into our lives. Yet, too often, we let them slip away.
Call that friend. Reconnect. Because one day, either you or they won’t be here anymore.
5. “I wish I had let myself be happier.”
This one really stings. Why? Because happiness is a choice, yet so many of us postpone it. We tell ourselves:
- I’ll be happy when I get that promotion.
- I’ll be happy when I buy that dream house.
- I’ll be happy when I have enough money in the bank.
But here’s the problem: happiness isn’t something you chase—it’s something you choose. Right now. In this moment.
The Trap We Keep Falling Into
The next morning in this motivational video, I went for a long walk. My mind was racing. And then it hit me—
Life is a journey. But most of us treat it like a checklist.
We convince ourselves that happiness is just around the corner.
- “I’ll be happy when I get that promotion.”
- “I’ll be happy when I buy that house.”
- “I’ll be happy when I have the perfect relationship.”
And then what? More promotions, bigger houses, another goal to chase? We’re like travelers on a long road trip, refusing to enjoy the drive because we’re obsessed with reaching the next rest stop.
But what if the real secret to happiness is realizing that we already have everything we need to be happy right now?
The Journey vs. The Destination
Reading this book made me rethink everything. It made me realize that life is a road trip—and most of us are driving like maniacs, focused on getting to some imaginary “destination” called success, security, or whatever we think will bring happiness.
But what if happiness was never at the end of the road? What if it was in the drive itself?
Imagine this: you’re on a long road trip, but you only allow yourself to be happy when you stop for gas. Sounds ridiculous, right? But that’s exactly what we do. We only give ourselves permission to be happy when we hit certain milestones.
It’s time to stop that.
How to Reclaim Your Life—Starting Now
So, what can we do? How can we live in a way that avoids these regrets?
Watch the motivational video above.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Stop living for others.
It’s your life. Not your parents’. Not society’s. And not your boss’s. Take control of your own damn steering wheel.
2. Don’t let work steal your best years.
Work is important, but so is living. Find balance. Take breaks. Enjoy your time now, not just in some distant retirement dream.
3. Speak your truth.
Say what you mean. Express love freely. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
4. Nurture your friendships.
Text that old friend. Plan that meetup. Connection is what makes life worth living.
5. Choose happiness now.
There is no perfect moment. No final destination. Happiness is in the journey. Find joy in the little things—your morning coffee, the laughter of a loved one, a quiet sunset.
The Time You Lose Without Knowing It
Let’s do a little math.
Say you spend two hours a day scrolling through social media, one hour overthinking things you can’t change, and another hour replaying past mistakes. That’s four hours a day wasted.
Multiply that by 365 days, and that’s 1,460 hours a year.
Do that for 10 years? You’ve lost 14,600 hours. That’s over 600 full days of your life—GONE.
That’s almost TWO YEARS.
Now, think about the regrets of the dying. Would any of them say, “I wish I had spent more time scrolling Instagram”?
Or would they say, “I wish I had been present. I wish I had loved more. I wish I had chased my dreams instead of my fears”?
Motivational Video Final Thoughts: Your Life is Happening NOW
So, do the dying know more about living than we do? I’ll let you decide. But here’s one thing I know for sure: you will NEVER be this age again.
So stop waiting. Stop living for “someday.”
Start living now.
Please—DO what makes YOU happy.
Motivational Video Transcript
It sounds like a lot, I know.
But give me just six minutes, and you’ll get ten years of your life back.
It all happened recently in Krabi, Thailand
A place stacked with amazing food, unforgettable beaches
and landscapes that take your breath away.
And to top it off, it’s the perfect time of year.
Warm, sunny days. A cool breeze by the water.
I’ve been living here for three months now.
Krabi is starting to feel like home.
But then, a package arrived.
And it changed everything.
Let’s rewind a bit.
So last week I was browsing on line when I came across a book
A book that just reading the title
I couldn’t help but wander…
“Do the dying know more about living, then we do?”
This question hit me hard.
It reminded me of a quote by Nelson Mandela:
“There is no passion to be found playing small***
– in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
It got me thinking.
There is a sense that in the final moments of our lives,
life becomes crystal clear.
It's the greatest irony of life
that we live our lives looking forwards,
but it only makes sense looking back.
My mind was racing,
but it all came back to that one question:
Do the dying know more about living than we do?
I had to know more.
So I ordered the book
And now, it’s here.
Reading it, I was hooked
The book is “The Top 5 regrets of the dying” by Bronnie Ware
The book is written by a palliative carer who spent eight years with people in their final days.
She documented her patients biggest regrets
And they hit me like a wake-up call.
The first regret is “I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself”
“Not the life others expected of me”
The Second regret is “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard”
Third regret “I wish I had the courage to express my feelings”
The Fourth regret “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends”
Fifth regret “I wish I had let myself be happier”
I went for a walk the next morning to process it all.
And then it hit me—
I realized that Life is a journey.
but we find ourselves waiting for destinations along the way to feel happiness
It's like taking a really long road trip
and only allowing yourself to be happy when you stop for something to eat
or a toilet break,
and then getting straight back to it.
And forcing yourself to listen to the same old music over and over again.
When you could be upgrading your vehicle, taking a more scenic route, or listening to your favorite tracks.
We spend most of our time dwelling on the past
or thinking about what may or may not happen in the future
that we forget about what we could be doing now to enjoy life
I have fallen into this trap myself, way more than I’d like to admit.
We tie our happiness to goals, achievements, or material things:
“I’ll be happy when I get that promotion.”
“When I buy that house.”
“When I get that car.”
Or worse—when all three happen.
But here’s the problem:
dwelling on the past or fixating on the future fuels anxiety and depression.
Simply focusing on the present increases happiness. Actively doing what you enjoy guarantees it.
hard work and ambition matter.
But don’t delay happiness for them.
Don’t trade in your happiness for your work or achievements
because That promotion will feel great—until the long hours and stress kick in.
That dream house will be exciting—until the endless cleaning, maintenance, and repairs begin.
That new car will feel amazing—until the bills for insurance and services roll in.
And then?
You’ll find yourself chasing the next goal,
waiting for the next moment of happiness.
Happiness isn’t a certificate to hang on the wall.
It’s not a car, a house, or a job title.
it’s found by enjoying life while we are living it.
In making each moment count
In becoming someone you’re proud of.
It’s spending time with the people that mean the world to you.
It’s exploring the places you’ve always dreamed of.
So Enjoy the journey, not just the destination.
Find happiness in both the wins and the losses.
Because when your journey is nearing its end,
you’ll realize the only person you ever needed to answer to
was yourself.
So have the courage to live your life—
Not the one others expect of you.
Don’t work away your years. Find a way to enjoy the years you work.
Stay connected with those you love.
and have the courage to let them know how you feel
Don’t let your final moments be filled with regret.
Let them be a celebration of a life well-lived.
So do the dying know more about living then we do?
Well…I’ll let you answer that.
But there is one thing I do know…
You will NEVER Be at this Age AGAIN,
Please DO What Makes YOU Happy!
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