Regrets of the Dying: Stories and Wisdom That Remind Us How to Live

by Georgina Scull

Overview

'A beautiful and moving reminder to appreciate life' Roxie Nafousi, author of Manifest

'This book may on first glance appear to be about death and regrets, but is in reality about life and choices. It is warmly life-affirming ... A magnificent read that will inspire. I loved it' Sue Black 

'So beautiful ... Perfectly written and judged ... A wonderful book that made me grasp life a little more firmly' Dr Chris van Tulleken

A powerful, moving and hopeful book exploring what people regret most when they are dying and how this can help us lead a better life.

If you were told you were going to die tomorrow, what would you regret?

Ten years ago, without time to think or prepare, Georgina Scull ruptured internally. The doctors told her she could have died and, as Georgina recovered, she began to consider the life she had led and what she would have left behind.

Paralysed by a fear of wasting what seemed like precious time but also fully ready to learn how to spend her second chance, Georgina set out to meet others who had faced their own mortality or had the end in sight.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787396838
Publisher:	Welbeck Publishing
Publication date:	05/03/2022
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	484,861
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Georgina Scull is an award-nominated writer. She lives in Cambridge, England with her daughter. This is her first book.

Table of Contents

An Opening Note xi

Introduction: If You Only Had One Year … 1

Part 1 Work

Not Doing What You Love

Alan 9

Putting Work First

Edmund 27

Working Too Much

Ada 39

Not Having a Good Work-Life Balance

Niall 41

Part 2 Family and Friends

Last Words Said

Charli 51

Missing Out on the Future

Tassia 65

Not Looking After Your Health

Tom 73

Putting Yourself Last

Dee 79

Not Fully Appreciating What You Have

Katie 97

Regrets That Change With Time

Colin 119

Part 3 Love

Losing the Love of Your Life

Sid 125

Thinking You're Not Enough

Anthea 141

Missing the Opportunity of a Lifetime

Annie 155

Staying in an Unhappy Relationship

Kathy 161

Part 4 Hard Decisions

Not Following Your Gut Instinct

Anonymous 175

Not Speaking Up

Jo 177

Keeping a Secret

Millicent 195

Having to Make Hard Decisions

Heather 207

Part 5 Reflections

All the Things I Wish I'd Done: A Letter to Everyone

Libby 223

Life, Death and Regrets: A Chaplains View

Jane & Keith 235

No Regrets

Simon 261

What I've Learnt: 10 Tips to Live a Less Regretful Life (In no particular order) 271

Goodbye to All That 299

Acknowledgements 303

Notes 305

Editorial Reviews

04/23/2022

"If you only had one year to live, what would you do with it?" questions British broadcaster Scull (host of the podcast Regrets of the Dying) in this moving and motivational self-help book. After nearly losing her life from internal bleeding caused by an ectopic pregnancy, Scull felt grateful for the second chance but constantly criticized herself for "all the things I hadn't done yet and all the years I had wasted." Scull's healing began when she decided to interview people who knew they had a limited time left to live: those over 70 or living with a terminal illness. In four thematic sections ("Work"; "Family and Friends"; "Love"; and "Hard Decisions"), Scull shares their stories. All of the participants lived in the British Commonwealth, but the universality of their regrets (including "working too much," "not looking after your health," or "losing the love of your life") will still resonate across cultures and sometimes, make readers reach for tissues. Scull finishes on a hopeful note, with interviews of two chaplains and a section entitled "What I've Learned: 10 Tips To Live a Less Regretful Life." VERDICT Readers looking to change the direction of their lives can benefit from Scull's gentle, conversational approach.—Denise Miller

Library Journal