I Flush My Regrets Down The Tiolet

Reading Even Adults Have To Grow Up by Susan Wheelock

And she asked, Is this the after-mid-life crisis?

These words grabbed my heartstrings.

Suddenly I am in my sixties, having missed my opportunity and thinking, what the hell? I’m not sure I know who I am anymore.

https://medium.com/the-narrative-arc/even-adults-have-to-grow-up-c90551c6b4cb

This piece is not meant to harm or belittle anyone, but to motivate and encourage.

Isn’t life weird? We live to be twenty, thirty, and forty, and as we hit fifty years old our past slowly slides into first place pulling what-ifs in front of us. Then we start to build a wall of regret blocking the present and future out, preventing us from enjoying what is left of our lives. Regrets then become a disability as many of us begin to see our lives as failure, disappointments, why didn't I do this, go there, try this, listen to he, she and the old lady. This list can keep going on and on, ruining lives in the process.

We allow regrets and what-ifs to stifle our growth as we continue to hold on to opportunities that slip away, unaware of the pain we are using to injure our bodies, minds, and souls. Pain goes deeper than any other emotions humans experience, does more damage, and stays around longer too.

For every human I speak to over fifty, dissatisfaction with their life and past is all they complain about.

It seems as if every human has something they left behind, and many are willing to destroy their future and present to get it back.

Our world changes by the nanoseconds and going back, many changes will be there. Changes that we might not be able to cope with.

One change that will be the most difficult to fight is the human ‘mindset. Many problems human experience stems from how they think, which can be a friend or a foe. None of us thinking is the same as life trials and tribulations weaken or strengthen us as we mature with age and lessons learned. As life changes, and we experience many issues related to family, jobs, friendships, relationships, etc., so does our thinking.

I refused to allow regrets to steal my present and future. I refuse to uproot and attempt to relive past opportunities that weren’t meant to be. I believe that my life is the way it should be based on decisions I made that benefited me, my children, and others who needed help and advice. My wrong decisions are lessons and I am a fast learner. I refused to allow regrets to disable my present and future by allowing them to visit, even once. Regrets add pain and misery to our lives.

I am learning to flush them in the toilet.

Our lives are our decisions, whether they’re aided and abetted by outside influences from parents, family, friends, or whatever aids in you making your choice.

Regretting the past is regretting love, happiness, creativity, innovation, life experiences, wisdom, friendships, relationships, etc., all the good with the bad. By accommodating regrets, we are unconsciously attempting to wipe the slate clean and start again with missed opportunities. Your children, house, and everything you hold dear will be removed. You will have nothing left to hold on to. Not even the happy memories that keep many of us going.

There are many things I don’t want to know. WHAT IFS is at the top of my list.

I try to focus on what I can fix now, not what eluded me twenty or thirty years ago.

Our past comes with pain, the present and future can help us to heal and handle the pain of the past with more strength, wisdom, understanding, common sense, creativity, etc. of life and living. There are so many tools available to you to help you heal from the pain of the past. Then forgiveness of self and joy will be waiting for you on every corner.

Leave regrets in the past, and focus on the present and the future. If you must go back, grab wisdom, strength, understanding of life, living, love, anything, and everything positive will improve your present and future. Lessons from past mistakes too.

Regrets are a disability, flush them down the toilet!

Thank you for reading this piece. I hope you enjoy it.