The hidden gift in regret

Just like everyone else, I sometimes notice myself slipping into regret and rumination. 

This could be regretting something I said or did years ago that all of a sudden seems shameful.

This will happen from time to time. 

It’s normal. 

In fact it’s a good sign.

Bear with me on that. 

If you notice a pattern of getting stuck in regret or rumination consistently, you might be missing something….

You see, when we wish we’d acted differently in any situation…

We’re judging a past version of ourselves by our current values.  

We’re wishing we had the level of awareness that we have now, then. 

We’re wishing we had the experience of being in that situation, without having been in that situation before.

Instead of wishing we could change the past…

Instead we can celebrate that our values have elevated.

Our self-expectation has risen. 

Chronic remorse does nothing to support positive change. 

Bathing in the energy of regret and shame simply drains our energy and can encourage us to think less of ourselves. 

Focusing on our growth and our self-awareness supports us to believe we have learned from whatever took place. 

And that we have found the courage to admit our mistake and make amends where possible.

You were doing your best with the level of awareness you had back then. 

Congratulations, you have a new level of awareness from which to make decisions going forward. 

Everyone around you has the potential to benefit from that, once you believe it to be true. 

You’re doing great, keep it up!