So many hours can get wasted with regret. I hear people say all the time that they don’t regret anything they have done. Now I think there may be some validity in that statement, but at the same time, I think they’re just missing the point.
Every experience we have gives us the opportunity to become a better person. Our response determines what we learn from it. At the same time, there is great wisdom in realizing that we made a mistake somewhere along the way and regretting our decision — or indecision — at that moment.
Only in admitting we are wrong and gaining insight into how we could better respond in the future, will we be able to most optimally grow from the experience. This ties in to what I wrote about last time as far as the value that experience has as a master teacher.
Don’t miss an opportunity
Too often, I find that I am close-minded in some area or another. Everyone is, whether they like to admit it or not. How many times has a friend (or someone else) suggest you go do something and instead of trying something new, you just sit back and don’t go.
Quiche and cheesecake are great examples of this.
My dad didn’t eat cheesecake until he was in his late 20s. Why? Because it sounds gross.
Don’t let that happen to you. Take a risk. Take that job in a small rural school district. Ask her out. Try the soup of the day, even if it sounds gross. Listen to mariachi (I recommend Mariachi Vargas or Mariachi Cobre). Talk to somebody about Jesus. Set a little goal and accomplish it. Destroy a credit card.
Find something that you’ve been wanting to do for a long time and don’t rest until it is done!
Too much of a good thing…
The problem with quice and cheesecake is that they taste good, but you know you can’t have too much of them. Or else they will ruin you.
Similarly, while missed opportunities are a big cause of regret, wasted opportunities are as well. Don’t go so overboard on something that it begins to master you. Loosen the world’s grip on your life!
Here’s my plan
I started this recently and I want to share it with you as a challenge. I figure if I can sacrifice for a year to change my life, I’ll do it. So here we have it…
No Coke, No cake
I have made the determination to not drink any sodas or eat any desserts until August of 2009. That’s the earliest. I may decide I totally love the feeling I have when I am free from those (and I know I will), and may just eliminate them from my virtually entirely.
Lose 4 pounds a month
What if I set out to lose 50 pounds. That’s a lot. What if I set out just to lose 4 pounds and give myself a time frame of four weeks to accomplish that? That is realistic and attainable. So when I set that goal consistently for 12 months, I should be somewhere around 50 pounds lighter by this time next year. That’s huge.
Now I understand that not everybody can afford to lose 50 pounds. Good for you. Set some other easily attainable goal. Pay off $500 in debt this month. Do it 12 months in a row and you are $6,000 better off financially than you were today.
Don’t miss an opportunity. Don’t overindulge in anything. Live happier lives!
