Regret is a negative thought that many of us suffer from. Regret is sadness about past bad decisions. For example, you may think about how you could have chosen a different career pathway, bought that house when it was cheap, or maybe not left a loving partner, and so on.
Unfortunately, “time machines”, where you can visit your past, exist only in fiction. In reality, there is no way to go back in time and reverse those bad decisions. Since you cannot change the past, there is little point in wasting time on those decisions. Regret about the past can unnecessarily ruin your present.
One of the most toxic statements you can make is “I could have” or “I should have.” For example, “I could have bought this, I should have avoided that scammer, etc.” Such thinking is very wasteful and can bring your mood down.
There is, however, a way to use your past helpfully: to tell yourself that, going forward, you will try to avoid making the same mistakes you made in the past. That way, you are converting a negative experience into a positive one. For example, you may regret not having visited your local park in the past. You might be able to convert that into a positive by resolving to go to the park in the coming weekends.
Another important aspect is learning to be kind to yourself and to forgive your younger self for making bad decisions. Often you can find it easier to forgive others than to forgive yourself! If you were able to look into anyone’s past, you would for sure find plenty of instances when wrong choices were made. It’s human nature to make mistakes.
A good way to think about regret is to imagine a person walking. When walking, do you look forward or backwards? Of course, you look ahead, as looking back is of little value when it comes to avoiding crashes. Similarly, as you move forward in your life, look ahead, not behind. Do not waste your time regretting things from the past.
When embarking on your journey towards happiness, it’s best to travel light and leave unnecessary luggage behind. One such piece of luggage that you can dispose of is “regret”
