Forget Regret...Or Life Is Yours To Miss...

I have to debate this phrase from Rent. For me some of my regrets are seriously part of who I am. Am I missing life? I do not think so. For me I personally feel that the phrase would be better served by saying Don't dwell on regret, or life is yours to miss.

I seriously do not think there is anyone in life that has no regrets. I think if they say so they are being dishonest with themselves. Regret is a part of life. At one time or another everyone makes the wrong choice or .... let me change that. Not makes the wrong choice but makes an alternate choice. (even that does not sound right) In life choices for most are not right or wrong. Now please do not get me wrong I am not talking about whether to kill or steal. Those are obvious rights and wrongs. I am talking about choices in life, directions. In school do I choose to major in subject A or subject B, should I go work for A company or B company, and other similar decisions.

I would venture to say that most of us at one time in our lives have wished we have chosen A over B or vice versa. I know for myself my life is littered with choices that if there were a time machine and I could change them I would. This is where I find an enigma. I am in a very good place in my life right now... and who is to say that my life would truly be any better if I had made different choices? Sure we can all spend hours fantasizing about how things would be better if we had made alternate choices. This is where I feel the dwelling part comes in. I am very guilty of spending hours, and this is not to say that there are not days that I still don't, thinking about how I wish I would have made an alternate choice. One of the epiphanies that I have had while in this potentially spiraling thinking is that, here I am happy in life and had I made any alternate choice in life would I still be as happy? Would I still be happy? Who knows hence the descriptor of spiraling. I am not saying my life is perfect by any means but I have seriously believe if I had not made the choices I would not be where I am at right now and where I am is amazing.

So here is kind of my point in this.... To forget regret we are saying lets forget the choices we make, and for me I do not think that is the ideal option. I remember my regrets so I can make more informed and knowledgeable choices going forward. Where regret can be a hindrance or an issue is when we dwell on them. Which is allowing ourselves to be come caught up in them and dragged down the shame spiral about how we should've, could've, would've. Instead I suggest to LEARN from our past and move forward in life utilizing the knowledge we have gained to make more informed decisions.

Don't dwell on regret, but instead learn from it, or life is yours to miss.

Just an opinion.

J.