Regret- feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over (something that has happened or been done, especially a loss or missed opportunity).

One of the most popular places people leave their attention is in regret for past actions. No matter how old you are, there are situations in our past that cause us to feel sad, repentant, or disappointed. I should have done this, or I shouldn’t have done that. All these thoughts are a waste of time because the past is over and gone.

No matter what part you have played, it is also over and gone. To spend valuable time today reliving painful, uncomfortable experiences or certainly didn’t display yourself in your best light will only make you feel bad about yourself and rob you of your power. Take some time to focus on the present and bring your awareness into this moment, which is the only one you are guaranteed to have. Bring awareness to your thoughts of regret and realize they need to be released. It starts with noticing your thoughts about the past, the emotions these thoughts bring up, the words they cause you to speak, and the actions you are prompted to take because of them.

Learn the Lesson and Let it Go

All experiences have value. That is not an easy thing to believe because bad things often happen. These “bad” experiences can shape much of our perspective in life. Still, all unpleasant, complex, unfair, laborious, demanding, or exhausting experiences is a lesson that can help you if you look for them. And it can be hard to look for these valuable lessons. Life would be easy if there were no challenges, but if they didn’t push you, you would never reach your potential. It is the push that gets you to the next level. Or to even realize that there is a higher level of understanding, growth, and achievement.

Nobody will seek out difficult situations, and we spend most of our lives trying to put ourselves into situations where life will be easy. There is plenty of money and security, and worry is a thing of the past. But is it? Hard times allow us to develop our talents and confidence that if that awful thing didn’t break me, what can? We all have a strength that can enable us to overcome obstacles and leap over difficult times. Learn the lessons of the hard times and move forward.

Forgive Everyone and Wish Them Well

Forgiveness can be challenging to grant to those who have done something to hurt us in the past. But it would help if you moved on. Many people get hung up on forgiving because they feel that you are letting someone off the hook for hurtful actions in the past. That is not the case. All you are doing is putting whatever occurred in the past. Forgiveness doesn’t excuse anyone but gives you peace and freedom. Today is for living your life the best you can. If your mind, feelings, words, and actions are caused by experience, you are not doing that.

The most important person to forgive is yourself. No person has made it through the trials of life without making a mistake. Those mistakes can be small, but sometimes they are seemingly impossible. But you have to forgive yourself to move forward. You can not go back and change the past. All you can do is make today as positive an experience for everyone in your life that you can. Forgive yourself, and be conscious of why you think what you do. Move forward with the hope that the best today can bring you. That is a choice that only you can make for yourself.

You Can’t Trust Your Memory.

One of the difficult things about owning a human perception is that we remember things the way we want. Events do not necessarily happen the way we think they did. We have a perception of our memories that comes to us clouded with our thoughts, the words of others over time, and an idealization of things that happened long ago. People tend to forget the bad and remember the good situations over time. Sometimes people hold on to complex problems because they have become a part of their identity. Defining yourself through tragedy and loss is not a very healthy way to go.

Three people watch the same event happen. They all have a different story about what happened. This is because everyone has a different perception of things. Look at your tragic events of the past. How accurate are your memories? Even if they are accurate, the fear of being powerless or hurt affects us now. We don’t want anything like that to happen again. Memory and fear are just thoughts that you entertain and give power to. Change what you think about and how you think about things, and you will find freedom and growth. Those tragedies become strengths, and you reach places you never thought possible.

Focus Your Attention on Today

We are all placed in this world as works in progress. We have the potential to accomplish things, and nothing we are now is a finality. We can learn new things, develop our skills, and become better at everything we can think of doing. Focus your mind on what you can do today to become better, and you will make the world just a little bit better.

Don’t spend energy regretting your life’s traumatic, embarrassing, or tragic moments. They are just that, moments in your experience. It starts with a conscious awareness of the thoughts you pay attention to, the emotions that correspond, the words you speak to others and yourself, and the actions it leads you to take in your life. The past is gone, and we can’t get it back no matter how much we might like to. No regrets today, as we take it one day at a time.

“At the end of the day, let there be no excuses, no explanations, no regrets.” ― Steve Maraboli, 

“Never regret anything that has happened in your life; it cannot be changed, undone, or forgotten. So take it as a lesson learned and move on” – Anonymous.

“No more regrets. No turning back. I’m moving on”-Anonymous.