Last Sunday, Daylight Savings Time came to an end and there were numerous reminders to turn our clocks back one hour. This moved me to think about regrets and if we were able to go back in time, would we do things differently?
Looking Back, Looking Forward
Regret is common, but the extent to which we let it dominate our thoughts and actions varies greatly. In a recent survey on regrets, researchers explored what American most regret. They found the most common regret centered around romance, both love lost and unfulfilled love. Other regrets identified in the survey include family, career, education, money and parenting. In some instances the regret was due to wishing they had done something differently; in others, feeling badly about an action they perpetrated.
I was raised not to use “What if’s” and “If onlys” when I was growing up. My parents taught me to try to live a life without regrets – focusing on doing the right thing, making the best decisions possible and keep moving forward. This applied in all areas. If I had already accepted a birthday party invitation or had made plans, I wasn’t allowed to accept a better opportunity and cancel the original plan. In my house, a deal was a deal and my brother and I were expected to honor commitments and accept responsibility for our actions.
Life Without Regrets?
From www.womancapitalconnect.com
Does this mean I don’t have regrets? Not exactly. While I reflect and try to learn from past actions, I focus primarily on what’s in front of me, not behind me. Many years ago, a friend was suffering from a fatal illness. I visited her several times but not nearly enough, which I regret. Since that time, I have gone out of my way to commit to helping sick friends and relatives. It’s my way to create a positive outcome from a regret.
Stop Turning the Clock Back
The extent to which a person dwells on an opportunity lost or a past action is likely determined by both the perceived and actual impact it has on their life path. In most cases we have the ability to implement a course correction, take action to help remedy the situation or decide to do something differently.
We can only turn the clock back to end Daylight Saving Time. Instead of dwelling on regrets, find a way to learn from them and create opportunities to grow. Dare to make opportunities for yourself. Mark Twain wise advice about regrets should be heeded, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do that by the ones you did to.”
