{No} Regrets

We are grateful to have Danelle join us this week for a guest post.  
She shares some of her insights on regret. She may only be 19, as she states, 
but she is already wise beyond her years. We'd love to hear your thoughts 
about regret and how you manage it in life. Comment below.

People often say, “live your life with no regrets”. While a nice concept, I believe the only way you can live your life with no regrets is if you can see into the future. Because few “can” the rest of us have to content ourselves to our lives full of mistakes and regrets. The feeling of regret is learned at a very young age. Toddlers will break a rule, get scolded and break the rule again. When they break it a second time however, they remember the scolding and regret their choice. While toddlers may not see their actions in such clear terms, the older they get the more they understand.
I’m only nineteen years old. To most people I’ve barely lived my life, and yet I can’t count all the decisions I’ve made and things I’ve done that I regret. Regret is natural and it can help prevent us from making further mistakes in the future. The problem comes when we let our regrets in life prevent us from living our lives. I’ve had so many missed opportunities, wrong decisions, and ill intentioned words I wish I could go back in time and re-do. But I can’t, no one can. And yet so many people waste their time wishing they could change the past, or control the future, all the while missing out on the present.

No one can live a life without regrets, but anyone can live despite their regrets. Life is messy, and hard, and regretful, but it is also beautiful, and kind, and so very full of JOY. Look on the brightside. It’s a cliche that can never be used enough. Learn from your regrets and mistakes and then make like Elsa and let it go. The only person who expects you to be perfect is you, so give yourself a break, and find JOY in living an imperfect life. 
JOYsister Danelle 

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