Regret or Thanks?
Learnings from doing something that I now regret
I recently came across the search term “the five regrets of the dying”. It got me thinking about my regrets. ‘Would I regret anything before my death?’ or ‘Does it qualify as regret if I have already learned my lesson?’
All these thoughts came rushing, and I decided to address them.
I never run away from admitting anything that I find regretful. Sanjit (best friend) will frown while reading this because I have written multiple times about the same topic. However, I strongly feel it needs to be acknowledged, which is why this topic finds its way into my writings. The recent one being on ‘I quit my job and regret it’.
Nonetheless, be it career regret or friendship, acknowledging regrets is crucial to move on in life and from unpleasant memories
Learn from Regrets
Learnings will come your way only after acceptance. You will never learn if you feel you have wronged someone and never admit that. That is the first thing I have learned from my regrets. Scared to confess to others? Don’t worry. Just recognize it to yourself.
My second learning stems from the first one. You must have seen the post “Don’t regret anything that made you smile”. I have to say I used to find it very cliched. Nevertheless, I have realized it is somewhat true. Unless someone is pressuring you, I would like to assume that the regretful action was taken by you consciously. You assumed that action to be the best choice for that moment. Then why shall you regret it later?
We are all human beings and not magical beings. We are one of the best examples of imperfect creatures. The best part is, we evolve both physically and mentally every day. I now feel there is no point in regretting an action two years later.
Say Thanks to Regretful Memories
Every incident in our lives teaches us something. Unpleasant memories and incidents are no different. They make you cautious and help you to better identify the gravity of a situation.
Please note that I am not referring to extreme events like death or similar experiences. If you see someone following the footsteps of your past self, you can warn them as well. This way, the learnings from regretful incidents will help you and others.
Hence, if not anything else, say thanks to such incidents.
How to overcome regrets?
Overcoming regrets is not as easy as it may seem. While writing this, I realized there are several regrets that I haven’t overcome fully. One can say those are the biggest life regrets. But it is alright, I told myself. I will say to everyone that there is no need to rush to acceptance as it will come naturally. Once it does, your mind and heart will be at peace. Hence, give yourself enough time to find this acceptance naturally.
Thus, I try now to follow the “never regret a day in your life”. At least not for the actions that I take after measuring the pros and cons. Always remember that the decision you are taking now is because you thought it to be the best one. A year or two later, you might not think the same. Even if the decision takes you down the hill, you have to accept this fact.
As I stated earlier, acceptance is the key, and I cannot stress its importance more enough. It takes a lot of courage to accept also. Hence, pat yourself on the back if you are on your acceptance journey!
My inspiration to write about regrets and gratitude: Prompt number 2 “From regrets to gratitude. What have you learned from doing something you regret?”
