I suppose the no regrets way of living goes hand in hand with the lessons learned philosophy. I myself, have done my best not to feel that regret should ever be a part of life's equation. I suppose that every experience we have, good and bad, can ideally, leave us having learned something profound that makes us the wiser. Yet, I don't think this is always the case. In fact, I think often times, we find ourselves making the same mistakes... over and over again. We just find new ways to make them. Are there clues along the way that lead us to find these newly disguised mishaps or are we seeking them out...further perpetuating the cycle of regret?
I had a moment of Deja Vu that set me on a wild discovery of thoughts and emotions, I didn't even know I was capable of feeling. I realized in that moment, that I was standing on the ledge, waiting to dive into another regret. But this time it was different.
This time a foreshadowing hindsight set in and allowed me to see clearly. Usually the red herring comes somewhere between the middle and the end. This time, it was right there, staring me in the face, from day one. This time, if I perpetuated the cycle of regret, it would be a willing and conscious decision and I would have absolutely no one or nothing to blame but myself.
So there I was, faced with the choice to take the plunge or walk away. I could see the signs and run or pretend that this time it would be different, maybe even normal. The reality of it is, I know it won't be. So I step back and take this opportunity to remember the "lessons learned" and apply them.
The hindsight only matters, if you are able to recognize the foreshadow it becomes. I was able to recognize it and walk away and I'm feeling lucky the regret was there to provide me the lesson learned.
