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Daily Question, February 1

What can I learn from my regrets?

  • Pavan Shah

    Introspection on the incident and trying to identify the root cause really helps to improve in similar situations in future. For a great aricle on Unibiased Introspection please click here:
    www.shrimadrajchandramission.org/pujya-gurudevshri/pearls-of-wisdom/unbiased-introspection-2530.htm

  • Eva Liu

    I’ve learned that looking into my regrets is like looking into a mirror. I’m confronted with decisions I made, some without consideration and others that seemed so important at the time. I know now that all things are fluid. Things are never as bad as they appear and that we always have choice.

  • Barbara Morris

    What Ive learned but usually have a tough time implementing: focusing on regret gets you stuck. Look at, let it go, then keep moving on.

  • Elizabeth M Jones

    To do better next time. Not to make the same mistake. That time heals everything.

  • Trevor

    I can learn to be honest with myself and control my impulses lest I become an animal.

  • Javier Visionquest

    I’ve learned to recognize in my close associations a certain tone that they use when making bad decisions. When I learn to hear the sound of my own voice, my “tell”, when I’m talking myself into a poor choice, and the accompanying feeling of justification, entitlement or whatever emotion compels me into incorrect action, I will learn to slow down and re-evaluate my assemblage point.

    Forgiveness is, of course, the balm for regret. I have a few and I’ve poured over them with heart and m...

    I’ve learned to recognize in my close associations a certain tone that they use when making bad decisions. When I learn to hear the sound of my own voice, my “tell”, when I’m talking myself into a poor choice, and the accompanying feeling of justification, entitlement or whatever emotion compels me into incorrect action, I will learn to slow down and re-evaluate my assemblage point.

    Forgiveness is, of course, the balm for regret. I have a few and I’ve poured over them with heart and mind looking for how I could’ve been different at the time and it comes down to context – If only I’d had better information, if only I’d known more about the situation as it actually was and not as I perceived it , if only I’d. . . .known myself better. The common theme in all of my regrets is that ultimately I was lying to myself.

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    • Faith52

      “Forgiveness is the balm of regret”. Thank you for this soothing truth.

    • Trevor

      Wow and I just spoke of being honest with myself.

      I did not see your reply here when I entered mine!

      • Javier Visionquest

        I live around a lot of addicts, many of whom don’t even touch “drugs” There’s a whole lot of people lying to themselves, or a basic lack of self-knowledge on the leash (lest they become as animals)

  • Antoinette

    Every time your fear is invited up, every time you recognize it and smile at it, your fear will lose some of its strength.
    THICH NHAT HANH

    I really love today’s choice for the thought of the day.
    Our regrets can and often do turn into fear in that we can become fearful that all our choices may not turn out exactly as expected.
    When we use our breath to pay close attention to our many types of emotions and feelings they become less of a storyline. Breaking free from our habitual tenden...

    Every time your fear is invited up, every time you recognize it and smile at it, your fear will lose some of its strength.
    THICH NHAT HANH

    I really love today’s choice for the thought of the day.
    Our regrets can and often do turn into fear in that we can become fearful that all our choices may not turn out exactly as expected.
    When we use our breath to pay close attention to our many types of emotions and feelings they become less of a storyline. Breaking free from our habitual tendency to have a negative view helps the fear, anxiety, regrets or whatever emotion shows up.
    Mindfulness of the here and now helps to embrace an attitude of gratitude.
    Inhale and say: may I be well (smile 🙂 exhale may I be happy. 😉

    Read More
  • GT

    I waited too long to take the time to be with someone at his or her time of need. I thought that there would be one more day, and it never came.

  • Hot Sauce

    First of all, I have to say it's important to laugh at yourself in retrospect. My senior year of high school, I really, really wanted to make it to state in cross country and had a strong chance, but I blew it when I took off at the beginning of the race and was way in front of the first guy! I came in my first mile at 5:15 (this was a high-altitude, hilly course in Colorado). By the third mile, I realized I had blew it. It's a good story now, though. So what did I learn? Don't go out too fast d...

    First of all, I have to say it’s important to laugh at yourself in retrospect. My senior year of high school, I really, really wanted to make it to state in cross country and had a strong chance, but I blew it when I took off at the beginning of the race and was way in front of the first guy! I came in my first mile at 5:15 (this was a high-altitude, hilly course in Colorado). By the third mile, I realized I had blew it. It’s a good story now, though. So what did I learn? Don’t go out too fast dummy! Maybe that’s a lesson for life too. Don’t push yourself too much at the beginning of something or you might crash and burn. And better yet, don’t get cocky, and don’t be dumb! LOL.

    Read More
  • Annassoul55

    I regret dragging around all my regrets with me throughout life. Releasing them to God feels sooooooo good!

  • Pilgrim

    Make the phone call. Send the email or card. Tell another how important they are to you. Smile/laugh and sing more. Work on your strength. Always, always, say thank you and bring as much compassion to the situation as you can muster.

  • Francine Marie Tolf

    Lots of wise and honest reflections, thank you. I have some regrets that sadly I have still not truly learned from (ie, be kinder, be patient, know that this too will pass). I am still unkind and impatient more than I care to admit and I still let little things get to me. That said, I have learned that some of my regrets were mis-placed or way overstated, and so was the guilt I felt.

  • Deb

    Every one has them. When I was young, I intentionally lived so I would not have regrets; now I am a senior still living mindfully, intentionally and…. I have regrets. For the way aspects of my life turned out, for the failure of relationships I never imagined could or would fail. I learned regret might very well be an inherent part of life. I am gentle with regret, mine and others.

    • Antoinette

      Deb,
      I agree with not judging ourselves and others. We can have very harsh critical minds. It’s funny how we start out like Superman in our lives thinking we can dodge any and all regrets! Life has a way of unfolding in its own way.
      I believe compassion and loving kindness helps to soften our attitude.

  • Sally

    Regrettable past actions: I have learned to forgive myself. I feel such compassion for the version of me that acted that way, and I acknowledge the larger context in which it all happened. I use that aching feeling of remorse to fuel my expressions of love for others, and focus on sharing the love I feel freely, sincerely, compassionately with the people around me.
    Regret for lost opportunities, dreams not pursued: it's not too late to pursue my dreams. The more clearly I bring them into ...

    Regrettable past actions: I have learned to forgive myself. I feel such compassion for the version of me that acted that way, and I acknowledge the larger context in which it all happened. I use that aching feeling of remorse to fuel my expressions of love for others, and focus on sharing the love I feel freely, sincerely, compassionately with the people around me.
    Regret for lost opportunities, dreams not pursued: it’s not too late to pursue my dreams. The more clearly I bring them into focus, the clearer is the path toward their fulfillment. And, the path I am on is a ripe with possibility as any one of the million million other paths I could be on. I focus on opening my mind and heart to the possibilities that exist in every second of every day.

    Read More
  • kathleen

    to learn something from them and not let them determine who I am. To learn again that we are all human trying to do the best we can I can forgive myself and in do doing , I can be less critical of others

  • Grateful Beekeeper

    Regret can be one of my best teachers, but I am often a slow learner. When I hear that “still, small voice” saying “you are going to regret this”, and I allow that voice to inform or change my words or actions, THEN I know that I have actually learned something from my regrets. Until this happens, my regrets are only a tormentor from my past rather than a teacher for the present moment.

  • Aine

    Regrets are a kind of reverse road map.

    When I look back with wiser eyes, I can see the potholes, bogs, and cesspools I walked into in the past. I can see the danger signs around those features on my map, and take more care to heed them and avoid the stuff that got me stuck earlier in my journey.

    I won't be perfect and avoid all I might have because I am not yet who I am becoming, but, with practice, I will miss more and fall less.

    As Maya Angelou said, "When we know better, we do be...

    Regrets are a kind of reverse road map.

    When I look back with wiser eyes, I can see the potholes, bogs, and cesspools I walked into in the past. I can see the danger signs around those features on my map, and take more care to heed them and avoid the stuff that got me stuck earlier in my journey.

    I won’t be perfect and avoid all I might have because I am not yet who I am becoming, but, with practice, I will miss more and fall less.

    As Maya Angelou said, “When we know better, we do better.”

    Read More
  • Doreen Nixon

    Regrets can teach me how to let go and accept what is happening in the moment, for that is all that is real. Bring love to the regret and allow it to become free.

  • Rich

    I constantly strive to eliminate regrets from my life. Regrets teach me that I do not yet always do everything I say I am going to. For me my regrets mostly stem from not actually doing what I set my intentions to do for the day. I am working on making stronger intentions and following thru on all of them every day.

  • Nancy

    Learn from them. Do not repeat them. And, most of all let them go. Don’t carry them on your heart for the rest of your life.

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