2023-12-19
woman-think

Regret offers nothing, but suffering. We don't have to live that way. Yes, hear us out. There are things we are doing now that won't matter once we exit the stage on earth for good and they are pretty simple. To put this in perspective, Author Bronnie Ware was a palliative nurse recorded a common thread from her patients, they all had regrets. In the book The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying, she shared that we don't have to die with regrets. In fact, you have an opportunity to make difference in your life and in the lives of others. She found that people wished they didn't work so hard, spent more time with family and lived life to the fullest. You only get one shot at life and then it's finito. We don't want regrets tormenting us in our later years where we are living with contempt and sorrow. We hope that you will take this to heart and make the changes that are necessary to reshape your destiny. Consider the following decisions that we regret the most.

Holding onto unforgiveness.

Many people hold onto unforgiveness until it poisons their lives. You are not letting people off the hook, you are letting go of the resentment that is destroying you. Think about the ramifications of unforgiveness. For example, bitterness can impact your cardiovascular health and may give you high blood pressure. Holding onto grudges can also damage your immune system and cause depression in some people. "One study found a link between forgiving someone for a betrayal and improvements in blood pressure and heart rate, and a decreased workload for the heart," Harvard Health found. Don't allow unforgiveness to continue to manifest.

Trying to please everyone.

You need to be true to yourself and stop caring what other people think. Living under this burden will dampen your spirit and your life. When we are afraid to do something because we fear rejection, we are not living to our fullest potential. Stop caring what others think about you, what you wear, the past or anything else.

Hanging onto toxic people.

Start getting rid of people who really don’t care for your well-being. Don’t do anything hasty, but really look at the company you keep as this gauges your happiness. If you are spending more time gossiping and bickering with the same people--how can you have joy? “Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming," Ware wrote. You are the company that you keep.

Not making happiness a priority.

Most people base their happiness on circumstances. If we live like this, we will never experience happiness because circumstances are always up and always down. Go with the flow. That’s the way to live life with a peace of mind and more happiness. We’re giving you tough assignments, but with practice, you can make this a habit, even for the control freak in you. Many of us have to control everything in our universe. You know what? It is useless and draining.

Working too hard.

Most of us have to work, but this is not what we are talking about. If we are working at home after work, working on weekends or remaining late every night--it is no way to live. Not only will you become resentful, but you will burn out. You are missing more than time with loved ones, you are missing on having a quality of life. You need a balance, you need a break and you need to get off the treadmill of life sometimes.

Letting things go.

Who cares. Really, who cares? Not you, because you are letting things go that are playing havoc with your body and your life. With some practice, you can make this a habit, even for alter ego and control freak persona that resides in you. If this doesn’t work, seek help and find out the reasons that you can’t let go. Things like traffic, annoyances at home or at work don't have to take a toll on you if you let it go.

"The value of a life can be measured in the lives that you've touched."

Not making an impact on the world.

The value of a life can be measured in the lives that you've touched. This doesn't have to be associated with money. This sense of giving to others gives you enthusiasm and meaning. Giving back helps you to stop fixating on your troubles and it will propel you to feel empowered. Live a life that inspires people and helps people reach their inherent potential. You will experience more hope and more optimism if you do.

Showing more appreciation to love ones.

Tomorrow is never promised. Make it a point to share your love for the people in your life now, not later. We always regret not letting people know that we love them or we don't show it enough. Say "I love you" more and make sure people know that you care about them. Ware wrote that many of her patients regretted not investing in their relationships more over the years. "They had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved."

With only one shot at life, we need to make our move now. Living with regret can drown out our life force. You may be experiencing regret today. What lessons can you gain from your experiences and your decisions? Look at everything as an experience and build on it so you never have to live a life of regret. 
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