Podcast Summary: Feel Better, Live More with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee

Episode #610: Top 5 Regrets Of The Dying: Life Lessons Everybody Learns Too Late with Bronnie Ware (Re-release)
Release Date: January 11, 2026
Guest: Bronnie Ware, author of "The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying"

Episode Overview

This powerful, deeply reflective episode centers around Bronnie Ware's life-changing experiences caring for people at the end of their lives, and her subsequent bestselling book, "The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying." With Dr. Chatterjee, Bronnie explores the lessons that dying people wished they had learned sooner, how these regrets can help us re-orient our priorities now, and the qualities found in those who reach the end of life without regrets. The conversation unpacks not only the specifics of those regrets, but also broader themes of courage, choice, compassion, presence, death, and gratitude.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Universal Impact of End-of-Life Regrets (00:00–03:45)

• Bronnie Ware recalls eight years spent caring for the dying.
  Quote: "The most common regret during those eight years was I wish I'd lived a life true to myself, not the life other people expected of me." (00:00)
• Dr. Chatterjee frames the episode: Are we living true to ourselves, or will we look back with regret?

The Top Five Regrets Outlined (03:53–06:20)

Bronnie Ware lists the five most common regrets:

1. I wish I'd lived 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'd stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish I'd allowed myself to be happier.

She and Dr. Chatterjee discuss the umbrella nature of the first regret: if you're true to yourself, many others naturally fall into place.

Quote (Bronnie): "If you are honoring that first one and living a life true to yourself... you're going to do those other things. You're going to do things that make you happy, like stay in touch with your friends." (05:42)

Timing, Readiness, and Receiving the Message (06:21–10:15)

• Bronnie discusses how these lessons land differently for people depending on timing and readiness.
• Dr. Chatterjee likens it to seeing a red car everywhere after buying one – attention dictates what we notice.
• Both reflect on how many people, especially in midlife, begin to question, "Is this it? Is this all there is?"

Regret #2: "I Wish I Hadn't Worked So Hard"—Burnout, Identity & Space (11:17–22:40)

• Chronic overwork and burnout are widespread.
• Bronnie stresses that "space is medicine": intentionally scheduling time with no agenda (12:31, 15:46).
• Creating even small pockets of space—taking just 3 extra hours a week for yourself—can ripple into greater life satisfaction and perspective (16:58).

Quote (Bronnie): "Space is medicine to me... If I leave space and actually have to schedule it in... I return to my work with so much more efficiency and clarity." (15:46)

• Dr. Chatterjee shares his deliberate, "unfashionable" choice to take long summer breaks from podcasting.
• Both discuss the difference between necessary periods of hard work and unchecked, excessive work over many years.

Navigating Ego, Validation, and External Expectations (22:43–41:13)

• Dr. Chatterjee references Bronnie's "Dissolving the Ego" chapter: What happens if our work is used or uncredited?
• Bronnie reflects on choosing how to spend precious time and the spiritual lesson in letting go.

Quote (Bronnie): "I'm the messenger for this... If I spend every single minute chasing up every single missing use of my work, well, then I'm wasting my sacred time on things that aren’t lighting me up." (24:59)

• The culture rewards visible metrics—followers, status, money—but “the very best things in my life can’t be measured by societal definitions of success.” (Dr. Chatterjee, 27:45)

Every Choice Has a Price (31:18–35:12)

• Each action—and inaction—costs time, money or energy.
• Bronnie’s moment of clarity: even her beloved freedom as a young nomad "had a price, and I started weighing it up. Is this price worth it for me now?" (31:18)

The Danger of Deferred Living and the Myth of “Later” (52:35–58:19)

• Moving reflections on Dr. Chatterjee’s late father: working for decades assuming he’d have time in retirement, a plan cut short by ill health.
• Bronnie: "We all assume we're going to live a long time... It's not the way of life." (55:07)
• Don't wait for the "perfect time"—life rarely goes to plan.

Facing Death and its Transformational Power (58:20–64:44)

• Growing up on a farm gave Bronnie early familiarity with mortality.
• She recounts a profound deathbed moment: "She opened her eyes, looked up... and it was just bliss. Bliss and recognition and joy... and then she was gone." (60:56)

On Regret, Mistakes, and Self-Compassion (66:40–70:55)

• Regret is "self-judgment."
• Quote (Bronnie): "Whether a mistake turns into a regret is really only our opinion on it. If we can have a bit of compassion for our younger selves, then they're just mistakes, they're not regrets." (66:40)
• Dr. Chatterjee concurs: “If you have done your best, there’s no need for regret.” (76:13)

Courage and Breaking Through Resistance (71:10–74:25)

• Courage = acting despite fear; breaking through resistance; refusing to remain paralyzed by "what ifs."
• "Courage is always rewarded, but not in the way we expect." The reward is often internal—self-knowledge, growth, freedom from old limitations (76:22).

Lessons from Those Without Regrets (81:09–84:03)

Bronnie observed three key traits in people who died free of regret:

1. Strong family and relationship connections
2. Humour—a capacity to laugh at life and oneself
3. A belief or faith in something greater (not always religious)

The Value of Intergenerational Connections and Witnessing Death (86:52–89:37)

• Dr. Chatterjee and Bronnie advocate for intergenerational relationships—grandparents, great-grandparents, even non-family elders.
• Bronnie: “We’d be so much more on track if we were all around dying people more... it would totally change the direction of humanity.” (86:52)

Supporting Loved Ones with Dementia or Alzheimer's (90:06–97:44)

• Bronnie shares a touching story: even when her Alzheimer's patient was mostly incoherent, she lucidly expressed love once.
• Advice: "Even if they can't express themselves... don’t stop saying 'I love you.' There could be a moment of clarity. Don’t stop loving them." (93:22)
• Dr. Chatterjee discusses coming to peace with the "new normal" of his mother's altered health—it's often about changing one's own perspective, not just the other person.

Embracing Impermanence and Wabi Sabi (97:54–99:24)

• The five phases of life from Japanese philosophy: creation, birth, growth, decay, death.
• Accepting decay and death as natural stages can help with acceptance and peace.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bronnie Ware (00:00): "The opinions of others are only as valid as you allow them to be. It’s you that will be judging your life at the end."
• Dr. Chatterjee (05:42): "If we get that right—living a life that's true to yourself—then spending time with friends, not working so hard, choosing happiness, they all feel downstream of that."
• Bronnie Ware (15:46): "Space is medicine to me... if I leave space... I return to my work with so much more efficiency and clarity."
• Bronnie Ware (24:59): "I just trust that the message will reach who it needs to reach... I don’t want to miss the present moments of my life unfolding."
• Bronnie Ware (46:37): On a patient’s plea, "Promise me, Bronnie, that... you’ll always have the courage to live a life true to yourself, not the life others expect of you."
• Bronnie Ware (60:56): On witnessing a joyful final moment: "She's just looked up and... it was just bliss and recognition and joy... then she's gone."
• Dr. Chatterjee (70:55): “The top five regrets... get to the heart of what it means to live a meaningful and contented life, doesn't it?”
• Bronnie Ware (71:53): "To me, courage is that force that can say, 'I'm scared, but I'm still going to do this.'"
• Bronnie Ware (86:52): "We would be so much more on track if we were all around dying people more... it would totally change the direction of humanity."
• Bronnie Ware (93:22): "Don’t stop saying 'I love you.'... There could be a moment of clarity."
• Bronnie Ware (102:17): "You are allowed to be happy. You deserve your own permission to be happy. More than anything, realize you are going to die, and every single day is a gift... if you can find gratitude in whatever is going on... you're already on your way to living a regret-free life."

Actionable Takeaways & Final Thoughts (102:17–103:04)

• You are allowed to be happy. Give yourself permission.
• Face the reality of your mortality: Accepting you are going to die sharpens presence, gratitude, and courage.
• Gratitude as antidote to regret: Even small gratitudes can change your relationship to daily life.
• Cultivate connections, humor, and openness to something greater: These are the traits of those who die content.

Timestamps for Critical Segments

• 00:00 – Bronnie’s introduction to the top regret of the dying
• 03:53 – The five regrets outlined
• 15:46 – "Space is medicine" and making break time sacred
• 24:59 – Letting go of ego and validation
• 31:18 – Every choice has a price; weighing freedom and its costs
• 41:13 – The myth of endless “later”
• 46:37 – The moment Bronnie first resolved to live true to herself
• 55:07 – Realities of mortality and letting go of assumptions
• 60:56 – Observing moments of bliss at the point of death
• 66:40 – The distinction between mistakes and regret; compassion for the self
• 71:53 – Role of courage in living regret-free
• 81:09 – Traits of those with regret-free deaths
• 86:52 – The essential human experience of being around death
• 93:22 – On communicating with loved ones with Alzheimer’s
• 102:17 – Actionable wisdom: “You are allowed to be happy... Every day is a gift”

Overall Tone & Style

Warm, reflective, gentle yet profound. Both host and guest speak from personal experience, blending vulnerability, spirituality, practicality, and humor. The tone is compassionate, often contemplative, and regularly emphasizes self-permission, kindness, and the celebration of everyday presence.

This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking to live more intentionally and meaningfully. The lessons are both timeless and immediately applicable—a soulful invitation to live, now, with fewer regrets.