Inspired by kyera (jollybangtan's) latest poem in her book TIMELESS
I think she's got this one figured out :)
There are so many things in this life to regret: words you've said, things you've done--what you didn't say, what you didn't do... But life is short. It's the longest thing we'll ever do, and it's always too short. But it doesn't have to be. We don't have to regret. We can do as we please and we can come to the end and be ready.
It was some time in middle school that I realized this, that I consciously realized this. And ever since, I have lived my life without regret.
It's really not that hard to do, once you get used to the idea. It takes a bit to get into--for a long time, I'd want to do something, or want to not do it, and I'd force myself to look at it from a new perspective: What will I want to have done? What will I want to look back on? And the more I asked that question, the more easily the answer came, and the more often I followed it.
Now, living without regret is not about living without flaws. There are things I have done that have had quite unfortunate effects (one in particular that hurt someone dear to me), but even that action I cannot regret because, at that time, it was the absolute best I could have done. The effects, I regret, but the action, I don't. See, had I done differently, that would have meant doing something less than my best, giving something less than my all. And that would mean he wasn't worth my best, which would be a lie. No, living without regret isn't about living without mistakes. It's about giving your all every time, and not backing down when the going gets tough. It was a hard decision I made, and I'm glad I made it. In the end, it taught me more than I could have imagined, far more than any other, "safer" choice could have. It was scary, and it took a lot, but my choices at that time were bad and worse and so I chose to learn from it and move on. That's all any of us can do, and the sooner we realize it, the better.
There are so many chances in life to do the right thing: to think just a moment longer before speaking, or acting--to say what needs to be said, do what needs to be done. Life may seem short, but it's the longest thing we'll ever do, and it's packed full of opportunities to do--to be--something great.
YOU ARE READING
The Philosophy of Life, the Universe, and Everything
SpiritualEvery now and then I get into a philosophical mood and start wondering about such things as our purpose here and what might be beyond death. This is the result of such wonderings. || Highest rankings: #3 Random thoughts, Regret; #2 Philosophy, Sel...
