We don't have to live with regrets. We can choose to move on and forget; cherish every moment and seize every opportunity. Our outlook will determine the course of our life and we can renew our mind and rediscover the joy of living in the present.

When we live with self-awareness and compassion, do as much as and the best we can, then whatever happens, we will have no regrets. We don't have to look back but look forward with hope, faith and confidence.

I would rather have a life full of mistakes than a heart full of regrets. My mistakes were from a lifetime of taking chances, making decisions, trying not to be frozen but to grow for the better and pursue my passion.

Sometimes we get on the wrong train in our journey we call life, but when we stick to what is good, what is true, what is honest, and what is real, we get to the right and wonderful destination that God has prepared for those who have faith and humility. We may have some regrets, but all we can do is understand and learn from them and then.... put them aside.

When we see the world in its true light, we will be able to do good, live pleasantly, contentedly, happily, and when summoned away by our Creator, we leave without regrets.

Here's a narrative about most common regrets derived from the book of Bronnie Ware, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying – A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing.

For many years I worked in palliative care (area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients). My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

2. I wish I didn't work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realize the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realize until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

By choosing the road of life that we have passion on, we can live with no regrets; we can never blame ourselves for making wrong choices because we follow our passion. Life is a choice. It is your life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.