No Regrets
We’ve all got them. Those pesky shouldda, wouldda, couldda decisions we didn’t make and now regret, or we DID MAKE, and now regret. Can’t win, right?
If there’s time to fix your past regrets, do it before there’s no time. If your regret involves people no longer alive (or worthy of your time), make your peace, wish them well, and move on. Regretting a relationship that’s literally dead helps no one, especially you.
Fix the regrets you’re still hanging on to that matter to you and your happiness.
You get to rewrite the end of your story, remember? You get to decide if the regrets on your list are UNFIXABLE or FIXABLE. If the regret is UNFIXABLE, make amends with this reality. If the regret is FIXABLE, move on it soon.
This is tough for me, too, you guys. After listing twelve regrets, (12!) I settled on my top four. In lieu of New Year’s resolutions, I’m going to tackle my regrets:
1. Losing touch with friends.
Especially former college roommates. We had fun together, thirty years ago, and today we send each other Christmas cards. The saying that we see old friends at weddings and funerals is true, and sad. If you haven’t seen this Christmas commercial yet, please do.
Regret=FIXABLE
2. Not following my gut to become a writer.
Early decisions we make from a place of immaturity, ignorance (lack of knowledge), fear and insecurity perpetuate throughout life. It gets easier to forget we ever had dreams and desires to do something BIG. Our hopes and dreams become burrowed down deep until the weeds grow over and the effort to unearth them becomes moot. That’s when all of the excuses kick up: I can’t. I’m too this. Not that. Etc. Lost time can’t be made up. But age teaches us that time is finite, so as Nike rightly marketed: JUST DO IT!
Regret=UNFIXABLE/FIXABLE
3. Not forgiving people sooner.
I carried anger against people whose opinions and thoughts would never match mine. And today, I’m cool. I’m at peace. Only for a long time I wasn’t. I regret the time I can’t get back. Time I shouldda, wouldda, couldda spent on prosperous ideas, fun projects and new relationships instead of harboring anger.
Regret=UNFIXABLE
4. Traveled more.
I worried about the cost. The dog. The language barrier. Who would water the garden? Silly and totally fixable issues. We throw obstacles in front us that aren’t really obstacles. These are excuses. I had to rely on somebody for help for the dog or the tomato plants, or dip into the “just in case” savings account. My goal now is to travel until I physically can’t. Someone will watch the dog. Someone will water the tomatoes. The rainy day fund will get replenished. And if it rains, I’ll get wet.
Regret=FIXABLE
“Regrets, I had a few.
But then, too few to mention.”*
Here’s hoping the end of your story has few or NO REGRETS!
BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!
*MY WAY
Songwriters CHILD, DESMOND / STANLEY, PAUL / TURGON, BRUCE
Published by Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, S D R M, S U I S A, COOPERATIVE SOC. OF MUSIC AUTHORS & PUBLISHERS
Image: New Line Cinema