No Regrets Living

“In No Regrets Living, Dr. Harley Rotbart offers a step-by-step guide to approaching life with an attitude of gratitude, acceptance, and self-forgiveness, even in the face of adversity. In a fascinating blend of scientific research and faith-based inquiry, Rotbart shows how increasing our awareness of the ‘everyday miracles’ around us can move us closer to living a more conscientious and contented life. This is truly a fitting follow-up to his book of essays, Miracles We Have Seen. And, as an infectious diseases doctor, Rotbart reflects on the inexplicable origins and consequences of viruses like COVID-19 and offers coping mechanisms and lessons to all of us for moving forward.”
—Samantha Parent Walravens, Forbes columnist and New York Times acclaimed author of Torn and co-author of Geek Girl Rising
“I am absolutely stunned by Dr. Rotbart’s wonderful and wise new book. His appreciation for the awe and majesty of the world around us—from the viruses under his microscope, to the graceful butterfly in his garden, the courageous patients he cares for at Children’s Hospital, and the endless universe of stars and planets in the night sky—reminds us how much we have to be grateful for in our lives. His perspectives on life are truly unique, and his family’s story is both heroic and humbling. From the issues of racism in America to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a road map for moving forward in our lives without regrets.”
—Richard D. Lamm, JD, three-term governor, State of Colorado, 1975–1987; co-director, Institute for Public Policy Studies, University of Denver; author of Two Wands, One Nation: An Essay on Race and Community
in America and Condition Critical: A New Moral Vision for Health Care
“I love Dr. Rotbart’s previous work, and I love this marvelous new book. In No Regrets Living he shares profound insights from his unique personal experiences to create a road map for a life of fulfillment and awe.This could not be timelier.”
—KJ Dell’Antonia, former editor of the New York Times Motherlode blog; author of How to Be a Happier Parent and The Chicken Sisters
“No Regrets Living is a gentle book of practical wisdom from a man who speaks with an insider’s insight into religion and science.”
—The Reverend Canon Mpho A. Tutu van Furth, founder and CEO, the Tutu Teach Foundation; former executive director and CEO,The Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation
“Dr. Rotbart, a physician and scientist, speaks a universal truth for people of all faiths and for  people of no faith—contentment in life comes from reverence for the ‘miracles’ in the world around  us, and from the humility to acknowledge we will never fully understand the source or substance of those miracles. You will be deeply moved, as I was.”

—Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, spiritual leader, Temple Beth-El, Stamford, CT; author of Mensch Marks and Embracing Auschwitz: Forging a Vibrant, Life-Affirming  Judaism that Takes the Holocaust Seriously
“Experts on aging often advise the elderly, who might be approaching the end of life, to find a way to eliminate or minimize regrets they’ve had and to come to peace with them. This book, however, gives those in much earlier stages of their lives a road map with various on and off ramps to achieve a lifetime goal of living with no regrets. Written in an easy style, the author gives wise advice on various ways of thinking, behaving, and believing to get there. With references to his own life experiences, family history, professional perspective, and scientific inquiry, Dr. Rotbart provides many moments of joy, chuckles, tears, and reflection. This is a book that should be read once and then read again at various life stages, and after significant life events, to keep things in perspective. Written in the face of the horrific COVID-19 pandemic, the author also intersperses commentary on the impact of the pandemic on his no regrets framework and offers many insights gleaned from this once-in-a-hundred-year set of events. An important book for any age, this book brings the wisdom and experience of a learned man who wants to pass on to others his lessons learned.”
—Jeremy A. Lazarus, MD, past president, American Medical Association
“In this beautiful volume, Harley Rotbart, scientist and humanist,shares his profound vision of how to lead a deeper, richer life. You will regret not reading it and incorporating its wise and gentle teachings into your every day.”
—Samuel J. Rascoff, professor, New York University School of Law
“In No Regrets Living, Dr. Rotbart helps us bridge the gap between science and faith (meaning the belief in something larger than ourselves) with sage advice for finding contentment and wonder in a world filled with chaos and confusion. With beautiful examples from nature all around us, the book is interspersed with his timeless insights into life and his most timely insights on living in and moving forward from the COVID-19 pandemic—wisdom gleaned from his four decades as an infectious diseases physician and virologist. An indispensable book for our times. It will bring readers hope and resilience just when those are most needed.”
—Tovah P. Klein, PhD, director, Barnard College Center for Toddler Development; adjunct associate professor of psychology,Barnard College; author of How Toddlers Thrive
“In a time of uncertainty, it is immensely reassuring to hear from a distinguished physician who offers both scientific understanding and heartfelt hope for humanity. No Regrets Living is crucial reading for all of us who seek to emerge from the pandemic with a deeper grasp of the wonders and blessings of our lives.”
—Ruth Behar, author of Letters from Cuba, and Victor Haim Perera Collegiate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan
“I found I could apply so much of Dr. Rotbart’s sage advice in No Regrets Living. You really can change your way of thinking with the help of this book. So many of us dwell on the past: ‘What if I hadn’t done this?’ or ‘What if this hadn’t happened?’ No Regrets Living helps us focus and find wonder in our life today and look forward to the future, rather than looking back with regret at events we cannot change. No Regrets Living will touch you deeply as it guides us through the life we live now and toward the one we hope to live going forward.”
—Erin Merryn, author of Stolen Innocence, Living for Today, Bailey, No Ordinary Cat, and Diary of the Cat Named Carrot; People magazine’s “Heroes Among Us” and one of “15 Women Changing the World”; Glamour magazine’s Woman of the Year; force behind ”Erin’s Law” for protection of children from child abuse
“No Regrets Living will bring hope and optimism to all who read it. Dr. Rotbart’s perspective on the intersection of science, medicine, and faith is eye-opening, and a prescription for a life of contentment and joy.”
—Jeffrey J. Cain, MD, past president, American Academy of Family Physicians; chair, Amputee Coalition
“Wise and worldly guidance, from one of America’s foremost physician experts, on coping with all the challenges daily living presents for us. Dr. Rotbart’s seven keys for personal healing and growth are truly a gift, and his advice on transcending the COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t be more timely.”
—Rabbi Daniel Cohen, senior rabbi, Congregation Agudath Sholom; author of What Will They Say About You When You Are Gone? Creating a Life of Legacy; co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show, The Rabbi and the Reverend
“Dr. Harley Rotbart has hit it out of the park again with No Regrets Living, just as he did with No Regrets Parenting and Miracles We Have Seen. As a physician, scientist, researcher, philosopher, spiritual guide, family man, heart patient, and veritable mensch, Dr. Rotbart has compiled a compelling seven-step prescription for living and loving well. Drawing from his unique combination of roles, Dr. Rotbart has created a roadmap for maximizing contentment and minimizing regrets
by believing in something greater than ourselves; reveling in the miracles all around us; choosing healing over hurting; practicing gratitude and appreciation; promoting peace and kindness; living with a sense of purpose; and leaving a legacy of contribution. Wherever you are on your own life journey, this guide will take you to a higher pinnacle of fulfillment!”
—Marianne Neifert, MD, MTS, author of the Dr. Mom parenting books and 2020 Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame inductee
“An infectious disease physician, Harley Rotbart is following the age-old advice: physician heal yourself. Part autobiography and part distilled wisdom of decades of helping patients, family members, and friends, No Regrets Living offers prescriptions for living life to the fullest. And this includes advice to humankind. Dr. Rotbart believes that evil can be eradicated like the many terrible diseases humans have conquered. This ‘treatment’ requires nurturing each new child in loving (not hateful, abusive) home environments, creating educations that encourage children to bring life-sustaining values home to parents, and political social activism beyond donations and signing online petitions. Regret plagues many people throughout their lives and often at the end. There may be no sadder thought than ‘it might have been.’ No Regrets Living offers a way to avoid that fate.”
—Bernard Beitman, MD, founder of the Coincidence Project; author of Connecting with Coincidence; visiting professor of psychiatry, University of Virginia; past chair, Department of Psychiatry, University of Missouri-Columbia
“Uncertainty is the nature of life at any given time; especially so during a crisis like the horrific pandemic. Unlike other disasters that have a chronological beginning, middle, and end, COVID-19 is amorphous, invisible, with an ambiguous timeline lacking a clear endpoint. In No Regrets Living, Dr. Rotbart offers the reader information and insight for staying focused during critical times. His seven ‘keys’ provide the reader with actionable steps to build new values that are optimistic and solution-focused.”
—Laurie Nadel, PhD, psychotherapist and author of The Five Gifts: Discovering Hope, Healing, and Strength When Disaster Strikes
“Dr. Rotbart extends his ‘No Regrets’ philosophy to everyone hoping to look back at their lives someday with a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction, without wishing things had turned out differently—a worthy goal for all of us. This is a truly inspirational book.”
—Christie Pearce Rampone, co-author of Be All In; three-time Olympic gold medalist and the most decorated American professional soccer player of all time, and Dr. Kristine Keane, co-author of Be All In; clinical and sports neuropsychologist; assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral health at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
“Pediatrician Harley Rotbart’s newest book, No Regrets Living outlines his seven-step prescription for living a fulfilled life, informed by his own personal journey growing up the son of a Holocaust survivor, pulling in lessons learned as a son and father, as a physician-scientist, and as one who has confronted and lives with a life-threatening heart condition.

“I consider the guidance shared by Dr. Rotbart on a very personal level as a daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother, who has navigated personal challenges. His 7 Keys speak to my own belief that the keys to life are embracing your purpose, recognizing what gives you joy and meaning, being grateful, and lifting up those around you.”
 

—Mary Anne Jackson, MD, FAAP, FPIDS, FIDSA, dean, University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine;
professor, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Mercy Hospital, UMKC School of Medicine
"Part spiritual/motivational self-help manual, part blueprint for achieving happiness in the face of the ordinary stresses and strains of life during and after this present pandemic, "No Regrets Living: 7 Keys to a Life of Wonder and Contentment" is impressively 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college and university library collections." * Midwest Book Review *
"...this easy reading book filled with practical wisdom by Harley A. Rotbart, physician, scientist, heart surgery patient and child of a Holocaust survivor, may help you out of your self-inflicted rut stories and offer you tools to gain the freedom you are searching for, and live a regret-free life." * San Diego Jewish World *
"Having over 175 medical and scientific publications, Dr. Rotbart's career is deeply rooted in science. Yet his experiences as a physician at Children's Hospital Colorado, taught him to believe in miracles, and that there are things beyond our ability to know. His 7 Keys to a life of contentment encompass belief in a power greater than ourselves, discovering the messiah within each of us, healing evil whether within ourselves or in the world around us, appreciating and giving thanks, accepting things we regret by putting them into the context in which they occurred, seeking purpose, and also self-forgiveness, and finally growing, by looking back and seeing how far we have come and knowing there is growth still to come."--Dr. Gillian Lockitch, host and author of Growing Older, Living Younger
"Often when we get to the second half of life we begin looking at the end, the time we have left. We ask questions of our past, our decisions, how or if we can do it differently moving forward. Dr. Harley suggests that no regrets living begins with looking at the past as a pattern of faithful occurrences that had to happen to make us who we are today then practicing self-forgiveness and intention as we move forward. Next we add the belief in something greater than ourselves so we can appreciate that there are things that we cannot always control or understand. Once we’ve accepted that we can then seek to create a sense of appreciation for what was, and is, and is to come from a better perspective. Our past successes and failures are our tutors to practice no regrets living. While no life is without regrets, Dr. Harley wants listeners to accept what has transpired in our lives, release our sense of guilt and live in this moment with our full presence, with complete intention. No Regrets Living is about embracing what can be controlled, letting go of what cannot a...