#regretsinlife

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THINKING BACK

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Embrace that Regret

By Bernard Mamangkiang

Everyone has this one thing in common in their lives. We all want to change something in the past that we wish hadn’t happened to us. But sometimes regretting something is not bad when we accept or embrace that regret. It makes us not do the same thing over and over again. 

I regret not being more careful about the money I needed to pay in my previous school when I was in high school. I lost the only money that my parents earned for a few days just to pay for my graduation fee. I really feel bad for my parents for telling them that the money I needed to pay in school got stolen from me. While receiving the other money that they gave, I almost burst into tears, and I can’t even look at my parents while taking it. I realized that I was so nave at that time to think that if you’re friends with them, they will not do something that’s not good for you and I made a mistake there. That is why when I go out of the classroom, I always bring all my money or something that I don’t want to lose. 

It's always hard to forget something that you regret, but that is a good thing because you remember it, and it’s a good thing to not let go of those memories to make you a much better person in the future.

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Turning Point

By Katrina Buenafe

Regrets exist to help us reflect and grow. I am a person who is extremely critical of myself. I'm always blaming myself for being who I am. I was ashamed of what I had and envied those who had more. and losing confidence as a result of insecurity. My life was never perfect, and neither was I. I'm always making careless mistakes that make me regret what I'm doing.

My greatest regret in life is not being able to express my feelings to those around me. It is difficult for me to be sociable and easygoing. When I was in my first year of high school, I was a shy and lonely person who couldn't afford even one friend. I was always afraid of raising my voice, and when I spoke, they would always notice my "paos" voice. That's when I realized I was different, and from then on I resolved never to talk in front of a large group of people. As an outcome, I was always left behind in my early high school years. Because I lacked confidence, I rarely participated in class participation and speech-related activities. And all of the decisions I've made in the past have been a source of regret for me because I wasn't able to develop my confidence at a young age because I was afraid to take risks. But, gradually, over time, I was encouraged and gained the strength to make a difference in my life. I began dancing as a means of expressing myself through rhythm and beats. And it was then that I began to make friends and talk to a lot of people. It was the happiest time of my life. In the past, I couldn't afford even one friend, but through my weakness, I've gained the strength to make a difference in the long run.

My regret is the reason why I am here, still running towards a better place. Because I was able to survive the whole process of dealing with this cruel world. And according to Steve Maraboli, he said, "We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past." But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here now with the power to shape your day and your future. "

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Illumination of the Soul

By John Paul Beldia

We all know that regrets always come after the action that we have caused. That’s why we must be careful in committing and doing something that will lead us to regret the actions we have taken. The worst feelings when we regret something we have done are disappointment, sadness, anger at myself, hating myself, and a repentant feeling that if I have the power to change time and go back, I will truly do it. For me, these are the definitions of regret. You will not know that you have already done something wrong when you can't feel regret. 

Among all the regrets in life, I will share one of the most regretful and sorrowful moments of my life, and that is the decision of whether I will go or not to see my sick grandma. My grandmother from my mother's side was sick and getting weaker. That’s why my mother said that we would go to T’boli to visit my grandmother because she is sick. But because of many outputs and assignments, I refused to go to T'boli, and little did I know that she was just waiting for my mom and my aunts to visit her before passing away. When I heard the news that my lola had already passed away, I grieved and regretted that if only I could change time and go back just to say goodbye, I would do it.

Yes, good times and beautiful moments will pass away, but we must cherish every moment we can with our loved ones and always remember all the pain, lessons, and joyful times with them. Just like what the famous quote from Lord Acton said, "History is not a burden on the memory but an illumination of the soul." Regret is part of our lives, but we have the power to lessen it by making good decisions.

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Death By a Thousand Cuts

By Alyssa Dorado

Although scars fade and my lips were now curved into a smile, there were no more tears rolling down my cheeks while my blood was running down my wrists. The regret and pain were still there at the back of my mind. Up till now, I asked myself, how could I do such a thing when life is such a wonderful gift from God? 

I killed a version of myself because some of the so-called "friends" of mine hated who I was. I was alive, but my soul was dead. It’s a pitiful sight to look back. I pretended to be someone who I wasn’t just to please the people around me. Putting up a show and acting as if I was all fine, but in reality, I watch the red lines on my skin and cry because I wanted everything to end.

Regrets are one way to show that you’ve fully realized that you’ve grown. It’s one way to remind you that you have to do better in life. Now, here I am, finally, learning how to appreciate and love my life again. I removed all the toxic people in my life to protect myself and stop every bad habit of mine that made me hate myself each and every day. I’m now a much stronger version of myself.

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Constant Discomfort

By Nicky Angela Solis

We live in constant discomfort. We feel loss, guilt, anger, hatred, and anything that turns our stomachs counterclockwise. It festers in us and leaves a bitter taste in our mouths, always unsettling. Though it is human nature to feel discomfort to survive, we remember the most painful memories to shield our fragileness within. The pleasures are mostly left out and only remembered when we really try to do so. Thus, discomfort is everywhere. But there is a feeling I find interest in and dread the most, as it is the manifestation of loss, guilt, anger, and hatred all in one dark shroud that will haunt you for the rest of your life. I try to avoid that feeling like the plague, as it eats me slowly throughout the day and fully consumes me at night. This feeling is what we call regret.

I don’t have a certain event that I can put in the category of "greatest." I have learned to just c’est la vie my way out of these situations and continue without strife. There are more pressing matters than dreading spilt milk, or so I thought. As my eventful life comes with the deepest emotional spirals, there is always a thought on my mind as I experience these immeasurable griefs on a regular basis; I regret living. I am (and my friends are) even surprised how I still managed to survive with what I have been through. I have lived through life-threatening illnesses and managed to waltz my way out of multiple sexual assaults. I have pulled myself up from neglect by my own parents and reached an age I didn’t expect to reach. I regret not letting myself die when I was small. I regret allowing myself to live this far. I regret raising myself and dreading the days of me breathing.

Why do I do this? I do not know. I guess I’ll never know the answer until I stop regretting every ounce of my soul and damning it for existing. When will that happen? I need to keep living to find out. I live in constant discomfort since I, myself, have spilt milk. I turn my own stomach counterclockwise, and that’s why I survive. My existence fully consumes me every day, but c’est la vie.

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Write All Over Again

By Pamela Braña

Making a big life change is pretty scary. But you know what is even scarier? Regret. We all make mistakes that we later come to regret. We also do things in life that make us feel good about ourselves. Even so, there are some things in life that we hope to be able to do one day. All of these factors contribute to who we are and how we came to be who we are. We occasionally wish we could rewrite the past in order to avoid regrets, but this would entirely alter who we are. 

There are many instances in my life that I regret, but mine are the ones where I failed to take advantage of possibilities. Not only have I missed opportunities, but I've also allowed fear to make decisions for me! Sure, I've said or done things I wish I hadn't, but now that those experiences are behind me, I see them as life lessons. But it's the missed opportunities that keep me awake at night. They keep me awake at night because I know I've succumbed to terror.I let fear take over and steal my dreams. It's a difficult task to confront that fear. That terror forces you to confront your own insecurities, self-doubt, or flaws. 

You can't be wounded by fear! Fear is meant to keep you in check; it shows you when you've reached the limit of your comfort zone. In your comfort zone, there is no room for progress. In your safe haven, no prizes are given out! Fear is now regarded as a positive emotion in my life. I'm on the right track, and the place I want to be is on the other side of fear. That is where you will find opportunities. It is there that I develop as a person.

Sometimes I wish life was written in pencil so we could erase it and write it all over again.

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What We Did Not Do

By Rhea Angela Himalla

Each of us has a lot of regrets in our lives. We've all made poor decisions and choices. We are sorry not just for what we did, but also for what we did not do. 

Lack of self-confidence and letting fears prevail often stopped me from joining in several activities. These are my life's biggest regrets. I always refused any challenging opportunities offered to me. I was just afraid to lose since I hated situations in which the results did not meet my expectations. Therefore, I decided not to put myself in that type of circumstance, preferring to play things safe. 

When I was 14, I saw my friend, who has similar abilities and talents to mine, win a beauty contest in our town. I thought that if I entered that contest, I would also win because she was able to win. I was disappointed in myself at the moment. Why am I always saying "No" to competitions? I would rather have realized that being open to new experiences does not carry the risk of disappointment. I regret ever having such a restrictive mindset because I am scared that my lack of experience in competing or performing in public will have an impact on my future, especially when I seek jobs.

I'm still trying to get over this and be more positive. I hope that one day I will be more self-assured and courageous enough to take on new opportunities.