Last week, I watched an old sit-com show where they discussed regrets. While I didn’t watch the whole show, the topic of regrets stayed with me, and I’ve been thinking about my regrets. Just like most other people, I have a few. Some things I regret not doing when the opportunity came, but since I’m still alive and kicking, I may still have the chance to experience them. Those are not true regrets. They’re possible items on my bucket list.
To me, feeling regret is sadness or disappointment over something that I can’t take back or do again. That kind of regret has a sense of permanence to it. There’s no going back or do-overs. It stands as is in our timeline of life.
One of my biggest regrets is I didn’t go to college right out of high school. At the same time, I’d have never met Hubby if I had so I don’t really regret it all that much. So, that’s not really a regret, but a what-if thing. It’s something that would have been nice in retrospect, but God’s plan for my life was much better. I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am if things hadn’t turned out like they did. There are many things I wished that I’d done differently that aren’t really regrets for me. I wish I hadn’t been so shy as a girl/teenager. I wish I’d learned more about computers when I had a chance. I wish I’d have made different career choices. While I may regret my choices and wished I’d made different decisions, these too fall into the category of what-ifs.
Without being too specific, I’ll confess some of my regrets. I regret not being kind to people when I should have been. I regret not holding my tongue when I should have left the words unsaid. I regret not standing up for people when others put them down. I regret making bad judgments about people who turned out to be much kinder than I was. I regret not hugging people more. I regret not being a more loving person. I regret not telling my friends, family, and other loved ones who much they mean to me, especially the ones who have passed. The list could go on.
Rather than wallow in regret and get lost in depression over being so bad, I use the lessons learned from them to improve myself for the future. I’ll try to be more kind and considerate. I’ll try to shut my mouth instead of saying things that don’t need to be heard. I’ll be more helpful to others and look for the best in everyone. I may hug people more so watch out! If I tell you I love you, it’s because I value you in my life.
Think about your own regrets and find a way to use them to become a better person and make a better future.