QUOTATION OF THE WEEK
To regret one's own experiences is to arrest one's own development.
To deny one's own experiences is to put a lie into the lips of one's own
life. It is no less than a denial of the soul.
— Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Irish poet, wit and dramatist
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
We all have something that we have regretted. Our regrets might be small, easily forgotten things, or the type that keep bouncing around in our memories. Regrets are at times are inevitable. How we deal with them is a different matter. We have a choice in that. When you say you regret something is it followed by, "If only I could do it again!" or "I will never have that opportunity again!" or "How stupid I was!" Or are your regrets followed by an attitude of appreciation for the experience and a growth that comes from learning from what happened? Do you relive the actions that brought the regrets or do you move on with increased knowledge that brings strength and inner guidance for future events and decisions? This is no easy transition but it is a transition that can be done. To be alive is to risk, and to risk is sometimes to fall, and to fall is sometimes to have regrets. Just remember that whatever you did you did the best you could do with the tools and information that you had at the time. Now you have more information. Be thankful for that and use it to risk more and grow more.
Next time you find yourself saying, "I regret . . ." stop and listen to yourself. Put a "but" after the statement of regret and turn it into a positive learning experience. Say you are sorry to yourself and others if necessary, but then let go and move on with the knowledge that you are a vibrant and alive individual, and as such you just experienced another lesson in life and passed with an A+.
Blessings and Love,
Allen Schmeltz
Copyright © 1999 Allen F. Schmeltz. All rights reserved.
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