I half agree. Having regrets isn't about sitting on you butt and not doing anything about it... it's about changing what you can. Yes, the Who poster can come down (and it will), but I also regret not telling my family "I love you" as often as they deserve. That means I can start reminding myself that I should tell them those three words more often... and I have been.
Having regrets is very important the older you get. If you go through life and never have regrets, you can never be sorry for anything. Having regrets leads to apologies, telling the truth, and growing deeper in your relationships. If I acknowledge the regret I have about fighting with my brother and sister then I can say, "I'm sorry," and we can move on with a deeper sense of peace. We will no-longer have to worry about all the pain we caused each other in the past.
I think not having regrets is naieve. Saying there is nothing in your life that you wouldn't change is also naieve. Although it is important to acknowledge the present situation and how you got to that point and rejoicing in the moment; there is also a great deal to be learned from what has already passed. I can also regret things I never did and things I never had a chance of affecting. I regret that slavery ever existed! That is a true regret. No, there is nothing I can do about slavery, but I regret that it ever happened and I acknowledge that it was a bad thing. I also regret the forced conversions of millions of native peoples and the biological warfare of the Indian Wars and the murder of millions of innocent lives as a result of our embargo on North Korea, Iraq, Iran, and other countries.
I don't think of 'regrets' as mistakes particularly, but situations where the intended outcome was later rethought. They say hindsight is always 20/20. The only reason they would say that is if they regretted their decision.
If I am confronted with a challenge and there are two outcomes, A and B, and I choose option A when option B leads to love, then I may later regret choosing option A.
The only way you can live a life that puts love first is by allowing yourself to regret and changing your situation.
Having regrets is very important the older you get. If you go through life and never have regrets, you can never be sorry for anything. Having regrets leads to apologies, telling the truth, and growing deeper in your relationships. If I acknowledge the regret I have about fighting with my brother and sister then I can say, "I'm sorry," and we can move on with a deeper sense of peace. We will no-longer have to worry about all the pain we caused each other in the past.
I think not having regrets is naieve. Saying there is nothing in your life that you wouldn't change is also naieve. Although it is important to acknowledge the present situation and how you got to that point and rejoicing in the moment; there is also a great deal to be learned from what has already passed. I can also regret things I never did and things I never had a chance of affecting. I regret that slavery ever existed! That is a true regret. No, there is nothing I can do about slavery, but I regret that it ever happened and I acknowledge that it was a bad thing. I also regret the forced conversions of millions of native peoples and the biological warfare of the Indian Wars and the murder of millions of innocent lives as a result of our embargo on North Korea, Iraq, Iran, and other countries.
I don't think of 'regrets' as mistakes particularly, but situations where the intended outcome was later rethought. They say hindsight is always 20/20. The only reason they would say that is if they regretted their decision.
If I am confronted with a challenge and there are two outcomes, A and B, and I choose option A when option B leads to love, then I may later regret choosing option A.
The only way you can live a life that puts love first is by allowing yourself to regret and changing your situation.
Peace.
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