Releasing Regret

Releasing Regret

Far too often I come across conversation, soaked in past regret. For example, a friend shares about bad choices, missed opportunities and wishful ideals from the past. I for one, have regrets, awkward high school memories and many things I wish I did differently. I am definitely not above throwing a pity party of regret, let’s be honest.

However, there’s a difference between acknowledging regret versus being stuck in regret. What I am specifically talking about today, is the regret that makes you feel stuck.

Acknowledging and having regret is apart of the human experience, while being stuck in regret, keeps you from experiencing the present. I would say, sticky regret, greatly impacts quality of your life.

_______

I believe, there does come a point in life, where we must cut ties with our looped regret tapes, and move on.

“If I would have made this _____ choice, I would be happier than I am right now.”    *repeat x100

______

Sticky regret can be desperately painful. It gets in the way of staying in the moment.

Certainly, the moving on process should take reflection and often a reasonable amount of grieving of what you wanted in life.

Grieving takes time.

What you expected in life is a real thing and if you didn’t get that, it’s something to be grieved.

But after you grieve, you need to give yourself the gift of letting go, and release that part of your story.

(more thoughts on grieving: Grieving, not just for Death and Dying)

If your story telling comes with too much regret, it may signal there is grieving to do. You may want to release the regretful part of your story to the point that when you do share your story, you can tell it with less regret.

When sticky regret has space to grieve, it occupies less mental space and allows more time for investment in the present.

________

Freedom resides in acceptance of the person you are, past, present and future.

_______

Invest in your quality of life by grieving sticky regret. Acknowledge, that like others, you have things that could have perhaps been done differently. But then put a period on that regret, and allow yourself to move on and invest in who you are today.