In this book, Bronnie Ware shares her experiences from working in palliative care, where she identified the five most common regrets of the dying. These regrets include: 'I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me,' 'I wish I hadn’t worked so hard,' 'I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings,' 'I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends,' and 'I wish that I had let myself be happier.' The book provides a heartfelt and inspiring account of how these regrets can be addressed while there is still time, promoting a life of greater compassion, honesty, and happiness.
Published in 1926, Winnie-the-Pooh is a beloved children's book written by A.A. Milne and illustrated by E.H. Shepard. The book follows the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, a honey-loving bear, and his friends including Christopher Robin, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo in the fictional Hundred Acre Wood. The stories are simple yet full of comic moments and insights into human behavior, making it a classic that appeals to readers of all ages.
In this book, Gabor Maté and his son Daniel Maté challenge the prevailing understanding of 'normal' health, arguing that Western medicine often neglects the impact of trauma, stress, and modern-day living on our bodies and minds. They connect the dots between individual health issues and the broader societal problems, offering a compassionate guide for health and healing. The book is based on over four decades of clinical experience and is supported by extensive scientific research, patient stories, and personal disclosures.
In this book, Jaak Panksepp and Lucy Biven delve into the neurobiological basis of emotions, proposing that emotions have a long evolutionary history and are present throughout the animal kingdom. They identify seven primary emotional systems: RAGE, FEAR, SEEKING, LUST, CARE, PANIC/GRIEF, and PLAY. These systems are described as sub-cortical and mostly sub-cerebral circuits arising from the brainstem and mid-brain regions. The authors argue that these primal drives are feeling states that include lower-level consciousness and are essential for understanding human and animal emotions. The book also discusses the role of these emotional systems in shaping behavior, emotional learning, and the complexities of human emotions[3][4][5].
Since his first appearance on Feel Better Live More, way back in 2018, Dr Gabor Maté has become a valued friend, as well as a regular guest. I’m proud to say that he recently joined me in London as a guest speaker on the Prescribing Lifestyle Medicine course that I co-created with Dr Ayan Panja, to teach healthcare professionals the principles of lifestyle medicine.
We recorded this conversation - Gabor’s 4th appearance on my show - a couple of weeks ago in London the day before that event, and we both agreed that it is perhaps our favourite conversation to date.
For anyone not aware, Gabor is respected the world over as an expert on trauma, stress, addiction and childhood development. He is a physician, speaker and international bestselling author of some truly game-changing books such as When the Body Says No and The Myth of Normal - which has just come out in paperback.
As this is Gabor’s 4th appearance on my podcast, I was keen to explore some new ground and different topics. Gabor has worked as a family doctor as well as in palliative (end of life) care. Back on Episode 383 of this podcast, I had a wonderful conversation with Bronnie Ware, author of the book, The Five Regrets of the Dying and I thought it would be interesting to examine each of these 5 regrets, through the lens of Gabor’s thoughts and work.
We chat through all five of these regrets and Gabor provides some thought-provoking insights on each of them. He explains why we work so hard to the detriment of time with family and friends. We talk about how disease can be a teacher, why it’s vital children grow up able to express their emotions, and how we wish more doctors were aware of the connection between emotions and physical health.
We discuss happiness and if it’s possible to be happy or seek happiness when there is so much suffering in the world. This leads us on to talk about the nature of forgiveness, curiosity, compassion, and also regret. Gabor says that living life with ‘no regrets’ is about learning and understanding from your perceived mistakes, but not being unkind to who you were then. Instead we should recognise that we did the best we could do at the time.
Like all of my previous episodes with Gabor, this is a powerful conversation full of compassion, knowledge and wisdom. I hope you enjoy listening.
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DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.
Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee 
