Very few people will get through life without a regret or two. Hindsight does that to us. Yet, there is nothing worse than seeing someone at the end of their years filled with regrets. So how can we prevent that from happening?
In Andy Stanley's book BETTER DECISIONS, FEWER REGRETS, he challenges us to question ourselves when faced with a choice. Simply and precisely, he states "Good questions lead to better decisions." How true that is. Stanley incorporates five key questions into decision making: The integrity question, the legacy question, the conscience question, the maturity question and the relationship question. And sometimes those questions can be hard to answer.
Many people regret not living a true life, not following a dream or not making a key change in their life. Fear is a big deterrent of those dreams and it's important not to let fear guide your life's decisions. The inability to balance one's life is high on the list of regrets - leading to that old saying of, "wishing I hadn't spent so much time in the office."
I'm a big believer of "it's rarely too late" - now is the time to take out a blank piece of paper and be honest with yourself in the things that really matter to you. Is there something you have always yearned to do - write that book, learn that instrument, travel to that special place, etc.? Write your dreams down and alongside them the reason why you can't make those things happen. Most people find the obstacles are self-made and can be overcome.
Grudges not only lead to regrets they are not healthy - bubbling inside of us and creating an inner discord. Finding a way to forgive brings mental peace and improves positive physical attributes as well. There's nothing better than the end of the Christmas movie HOME ALONE when Old Man Marley makes up with his son and is seen through the window hugging his granddaughter.
Regrets are best killed early. They are kept away by making good, honest decisions. Few of us will every live a regret-free life, but all of us can make sure our regrets are few and far between.