Everybody has regrets. I know I do. My biggest one is buying a home right before the Great Recession. About five years ago, though, I tried to approach life a bit differently regarding regrets. I would think “Would I regret doing this?” or “Would I regret not doing this?” I really need to get back into that mindset.
I started doing this back in 2014 or 2015. The first time I really remember this having a big impact was when a friend of mine and I started talking about going to Harry Potter World in Florida. (Huge HP fan, here.) Basically, we were joking about it, then it got serious, then we were buying tickets and making reservations. We left super late on a Tuesday — we had to wait for her to get off work — then we got there at 1 or 2 a.m. We got pretty much no sleep because we were SO excited, then spent 14 hours in the park. Then we got pretty much no sleep again before heading out Thursday morning because I had to get to work.
And yes, the dragon breathes real fire, and it’s amazing.
As we were deciding on going, I thought “Am I going to regret this?” And realized that the only thing I would regret was not going. And it turned out to be one of the best days of my life! If you’re a Harry Potter fan and can afford to go, GO! It is more fun that you can imagine.
I had the same mindset on regrets when my dad got sick. I lived 6.5 hours away, and because I thought that I would for sure regret not visiting, I ended up seeing him for his last Father’s Day, birthday and Thanksgiving. I would regret it SO MUCH if I thought “eh, I don’t feel like driving.” But instead, I thought “Would I regret not going?” And yes, I really would have.
I had the same mindset when it came to leaving my last job and moving here. I would have really, really regretted not leaving the job, as my position was eliminated three months after I left. And if I hadn’t left when I did, the job I have now would not have been available.
Now I’m back to the mode of not thinking things out. And, so, I really regret some things from this year. Mainly, not getting on track with losing weight and being healthier. There are some other things, too, which I’m not going to mention here. But regrets do lead to bouts of anxiety and depression. I mean, there is no way to stop all regrets, of course, but the ones that were preventable — those are the ones that get me.
On a much less-of-a-bummer note, I am SO excited for my weekend! Mom is getting me a bicycle and helmet for my birthday! I am going to ask her to film me riding it for the first time, so we’ll see how ridiculous I look. I’m excited to take another step in getting healthy!
Until next time!
Frazzled Daisy 