No Regrets!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."

- Mark Twain

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2013 is in the record books and there is absolutely nothing you can do to change what took place during the past year.  Hopefully, you experienced more triumph than tragedy, more gain than loss and more fortune than misfortune.  In retrospect, is there anything that you wish that you would have done; wish that you would not have done something; or maybe even wish that you would have done something differently?  If so, regret is renting space in your psyche. 

The feeling of regret ranges from a slight sense of disappointment to a painful sense of dissatisfaction with oneself.  The worse type of regret originates from the choices that you did not make as opposed to the choices you did make.  It is more painful to experience regret from not doing something as opposed to something that you have done.  You see, when you take action there are lessons to be learned, both good and bad.  And yes, some lessons can be somewhat painful; but they’re intended to teach us something about ourselves.  Regret from not taking action is different.  There are no real lessons to be learned.  The regret starts out slow and may even go unnoticed for a period of time.  Over time, it becomes chronic and haunting; it’s about missed opportunities; it’s about, “what I could have done;” or “what I could have become.” 

When you make choices and take action; you risk making mistakes.  If mistakes were not bad enough, there is the chance that you just might fail.  But, mistakes and failures are teaching moments.  It was Henry Ford that said, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."  There are far too many people playing it safe.  By playing it safe, they may find comfort in the here and now, but someday will pay the price of regret. 

Regret can only be cured by taking action.  If you’re regretting something you’ve done, take action and make it right.  If you’re experiencing regret from not doing something, take action and do what needs to be done. Know that it’s never too late to take action; it’s never too late to finish school, change your career, live a healthy lifestyle, rekindle an old friendship or forge a new one, embrace a spiritual relationship, or more importantly, become the person that you always wanted to become. 

Awhile back, I was walking through a cemetery and a rather plain tombstone caught my eye.  The epitaph read, “No Regrets!” It caused me to stop and think just how much regret was buried in the earth because of not taking action; how many missed opportunities were there, how much talent and skill was never developed; and how many dreams were never realized. 

You’re the landlord of your psyche and you have the power to evict “regret.”  The longer you allow regret to reside within you, the harder it is to get rid of it.  Instead, evict “regret” by taking action.  Don’t be one of those people who say, “I wish I would have…” Be one of those people who say, “No Regrets”  

It's your life: live it, love it & celebrate it!

MJD