Regret is a horrible, awful, time-consuming enemy to your future. I live my life in a reflective state. Which means I am constantly overviewing past decisions, critiquing current decisions, or contemplating the implications of future decisions. I stay in one of those three places at all times. Because I am analytical in this sense, I often have to fight the urge to be overtaken with regret. If I spend too much time in the past, I think of all the things I could have or should have done differently. Then, I start listing all the things I would do over, the specific events or people that I wish I could erase.
I was looking at photos from a couple of years ago and I stumbled across a picture I posted of my aunt at her last birthday party before she passed away. I immediately got emotional and it took me a minute to pinpoint exactly why. I eventually came to terms with the fact that I had been cursing a situation I was in because I got so hurt. I would often think or say, “I wish that never happened.” I regretted it and I wanted to rid myself of its consequences and all parties involved. The tricky part of it though, is that if this situation hadn’t taken place, I wouldn’t have been in attendance at that final birthday party. I also wouldn’t have spent an entire week with my aunt laughing, catching up, and talking about the future for, what I now know, was the last time. That time is so precious to me, and I will cherish it forever.
The decision I made seemed like a poor choice that brought me much suffering, but because of it, something absolutely priceless and beautiful came out of it. Now I can wholeheartedly say that if only for those moments I had with her, I wouldn’t trade any of it. I made the choice to stop beating myself up over it, and whatever your situation may be I encourage you to do the same. Perhaps you were vulnerable and honest with the opening of your heart, and you got hurt as a result. There is nothing wrong with that. As easy as it would be to take a life-size eraser and go back and eliminate all of our mistakes, that would inevitably cause a ripple effect that would destroy every lesson, blessing, and unexpected miracle that came about as a result. It’s hard to believe, but sometimes beauty is birthed out of tragedy. Instead of erasing the past build from it, learn from it, and keep getting better and better as a result of it.
Photo Credit: ID-50492655-©-Wavebreakmedia-Ltd-Dreamstime.com-.jpg
Amen, kenika….well said…i receive that..
Amen, kenika….well said…i receive that..
Thanks so much for reading Stephanie!