Regret Free

When I was a little girl, one of my aunts would say, "Decide in haste and repent at leisure."  Though I paid no heed to her aphorisms at the time, I now see the value of this statement.  

On a good day, I have no regrets.  However, on days when the mind decides to pay a visit to the past, it ends up churning out many little ones that do not matter now.  Although consciously I have closed down memory lane, the mind has a way to sneak back into the past looking for things, people and places for reasons unknown.  Though nothing ought to come out of such random search, wasting time on irrelevant activities is the minds way of working on certain days.

We can all relate to this. Our mind loves to play crazy games every once in a while so that it can easily manufacture unnecessary misery. Sometimes I wonder if we really like being at peace round-the-clock? The mind loves some form of drama and indulges in the not-so-pleasurable theatrics of the past.  

Though we all know that the past is to be left where it belongs, usually that becomes too much of an effort for most of us.  We tend to turn the pages backwards to re-assess our decisions.  Regret or remorse over something is usually attached to those decisions we have made in the past. 

Our decisions today become our realities tomorrow. When we choose to do something or be with someone, we make those choices based upon our judgement at that particular moment.  At the time things seem right, but at a later date, we rewind the tape and question our decisions.  That is when the entire game of regret begins.  We think we have made mistakes and that we should have decided differently.  Whether real of imaginary, mistakes are a part and parcel of life's journey. We have to accept that we will all make mistakes in our lives. Some mistakes can be rectified while others just have to be forgiven and forgotten. 

Regretting things does no good to our psyche.  Accepting that wherever we are today is where we are supposed to be, is a matter of faith.  Life usually gives us another chance to think differently and do wisely.  The past is gone, but the future remains.  We can not shy away from making decisions, but we can take some time before we make them.  Decisions that are reversible can be taken quickly but those that are irreversible have to be taken carefully with great scrutiny.  

Living amidst past memories is a sign of discontentment in the present.  So when the mind decides to let go of the past to enjoy the present, it is a decision made right.  Forgiving ourselves and others for whatever has been and focusing on what is ahead is a great recipe for being regret free.