Present Integrity
Being alive is not a rehearsal for dying well; it is a continuous act of presence. When we frame our choices around imagined deathbed regrets, we mistake a single moment's perspective for the entirety of life's value. True wisdom lies not in optimising for final thoughts but in recognising that each phase of existence demands its own integrity. The dying self is not more authentic than the living self—merely different, like autumn is to spring. What matters is neither the beginning nor the end, but how fully we inhabit each transition, allowing ourselves to evolve without disavowing who we have been. The most profound legacy is not freedom from regret, but the courage to acknowledge the inherent worthiness of a life that embraces both its certainties and contradictions.