Shift Your Perspective: On Regret
by Diane Wing
How many times have you wished that you had or had not done something? How often do you fantasize about making different choices and where you would be today if you had chosen a alternate path? Do you pine for the good old days? All of these are examples of regret.
It’s hard to shift out of the sense of “if only I had not …” fill in the blank: spent so much time in that unhealthy relationship, spent too much money partying and shopping, not studying in school or not pursuing a degree, treated someone so poorly…the list is endless. The energy of regret can hold you back, create guilt and self-loathing, and limit your ability to see what is possible going forward. Accept the choices you made. Acknowledge that the decision was based on what you wanted and from the state of mind that existed at the time. From that perspective, it is unlikely that you would have been able to see different options available to you.
It’s easy to look back and criticize yourself and your choices. As the saying goes, “hindsight is 20/20.” You can see clearly into the past and evaluate the results of behaviors and choices that, today, you would have an entirely different outlook on. Those choices made as a teenager were coming from a teen mind, not the mature person you are today.
Knowing what you know now, the view is quite broader, your options expanded, your foresight more developed. You understand consequences and the idea of “if I do this, then that is going to happen.” Also, you can envision the longer term result. As a teen who liked to tan, did you think the wrinkles from the sun would show up so prominently as you aged? Did you care about the future, or did you just want to look good in the moment? Yes, that is a small example, but with far-reaching effects on your appearance.
So now that you have gained experience, knowledge, and the wisdom that results when combining the two, what choices will you make going forward? Are you stuck in a continuous loop of similar choices that create regret, or do you consider the effect today’s decisions have in the future?
An important lesson is how to live life in a way that promotes peace and tranquility rather than anxiety and stress. Living in alignment with your true nature and removing the stressors that muddle your thinking and hurt you emotionally are two choices you can make for the good of your present and your future.
You can’t go back and change the things you regret, but you can use those moments to learn valuable lessons to change our thoughts, behaviors, and decision making process in order make better choices going forward. Life is a series of learning opportunities.
From whatever vantage point you are in right now, think about how you want to look back on your life and what you represented in the world. Staying in energetic alignment with that vision will ensure that you have very little to regret.
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About the Author
Diane Wing wants to live in a world where people feel inspired, create their ideal future, and experience a sense of wonder at everyday magic. As an author and perspective changer, she’s published four books – The True Nature of Energy: Transforming Anxiety into Tranquility, The True Nature of Tarot: Your Path to Personal Empowerment, Thorne Manor and Other Bizarre Tales, and Coven: The Scrolls of the Four Winds all available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iBooks. She is the founder of Wing Academy of Unfoldment, host of Wing Academy Radio, and has written a screenplay based on her novella, Thorne Manor. When it comes to getting unstuck and feeling great about life, her 9-word philosophy is: Let go. Be grateful. Stay open. See the magick. Find out more at: www.DianeWing.com
