We’ve all done some pretty questionable things in our lives- like, saying the wrong thing to a troubled friend or wearing that God-awful bright red lipstick when it clearly is not your color. It’s safe to say that most of us are sensible enough to know when we’ve done something that is just unacceptable, but a lot of people claim that they regret nothing they have done in their past.
Well, I call BS!
Everyone has to have some sort of regret. We are human after all and make mistakes on a daily basis. I used to be one of those people that would do something out-there, and tell people that I did not regret doing it because it made me a stronger person and helped build my character. I’ll agree that this is mostly true. Mistakes do shape you depending on how well you handle the aftermath, but they can also break you. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that sometimes bad experiences bring out the best in people and can make them a more desirable person if they deal with it well; however, each person has an “I can’t believe I did that” moment even if they are a better person from it all.
For example, we’ve all dated that douchebag or that total witch that made everyone’s lives miserable at some point in time. You were happy with them for the first month but then things went very sour, very quickly. Your friends would tell you things about this person you considered “your boo”, and you just did not want to believe any of it. When things ended (most likely ending badly), you thought to yourself, wow, what was I thinking!? And of course, you had a good reason for wondering because, really, what were you thinking!?! I know I’ve dated my fair share of guys where I just did not understand what caused me to be attracted to them when it was all said and done. I have also done things that I look back and think, why in the world did I take that option when all it caused me to do is waste time? And relationships are just one of many things that people may regret. I regret dropping out of college because I feel that I have wasted precious time. I could be graduating sooner than later with a degree in journalism or business. Instead, dropping out of school caused me to steer towards a more stressful, less appealing life, and get involved in undesirable situations. Yes, I grew from those situations, but I would not have needed to if I had not been in them to begin with.
I will say that growing is a great thing! So it isn’t that I feel that I did not benefit from certain wrongs in my past, but there are certain times when I have felt that I took the long way around to get to where I wanted to be. And it is times like those that I needed to somehow justify the reasons I did take that long route. It has helped some, but I still feel doubtful that some of the paths I have taken have been the absolute best way to get to my destination. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, it can be tiring, stressful, and even depressing.
The biggest problem people face when it comes to feeling unhappy about past events is that the “r” word is an ominous term that people see as a sign of weakness. But is that really what it means? I don’t believe so. Regret can be a sign of wisdom and a sign of remorse; however, there is such a thing as an unhealthy amount of regret. It can have a detrimental effect on your health and should be well-balanced in life just like everything else. So, with that being said, if you have feelings of regret, don’t feel alone. Everyone, even if they won’t admit to it, has at least one. (:
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