At the end of life, people don't reminisce about grand accomplishments but long for simple, ordinary pleasures like sharing a meal with loved ones. This suggests that a meaningful life is built in the quiet, everyday moments, not just the major milestones like promotions or awards.
A sense of belonging is intentionally constructed through consistent, small acts of kindness like bringing a casserole to a neighbor. These simple gestures forge stronger community bonds than large, impersonal contributions. At the end of life, a person's impact is measured by how they showed up for others in these small but meaningful ways.
People facing death find joy not because their suffering is gone, but because they consciously look for and acknowledge positive moments. A dying client used a simple tally device, a "joy counter," to track every small good thing, which retrained his focus on what was still present and good in his life.
A wealthy vineyard owner who achieved immense success died alone, realizing too late that his relentless focus on accumulation led to a profound lack of meaningful connection. His story serves as a cautionary tale that prioritizing work and fame over relationships can result in having 'so much and also... so little.'
End-of-life regrets often stem from things left undone or unsaid. To avoid this, one can regularly use a simple 'final checklist'—a set of powerful questions about one's life, relationships, and priorities. This isn't about cleaning up at the end, but about actively building a life so full that there's nothing left to fix.