Ware spent many years caring for those facing their own mortality. When she questioned the dying about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, Bronnie found that common themes surfaced again and again. The five most common were these:

I wish that I’d let myself be happier
Too late they realized happiness is a choice

I wish I’d stayed in touch with my friends
Too often they failed to give them the time and effort they deserved

I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings
Too frequently shut mouths and shuttered feelings weighed too heavy to handle

I wish I hadn’t worked so hard
Too much time spent making a living over building a life caused too much remorse

I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me
Half-filled dreams and unfulfilled hopes: this was the number-one regret expressed by the dying.

-The One Thing, p.213