What If....?

Do you have regrets? Silly question - virtually impossible to go through life without regrets of one type or another, even if its just that lousy Mexican restaurant you thought you'd try last week. But some regrets stay with us longer than others.

What "what ifs" do you look back on?  Every New Year, I look back on years past and wonder about the decisions I have made.  Did I do all I could do medically for my children? For myself? Was I a good enough wife?  Was I a good enough friend?    

What if I could pull a 'Superman', like when he went back in time to save Lois Lane's life?  

What would I change?  Whose life would I go back and try to touch?  What words would I take back and never say?

The life we live is the legacy we leave behind.  Everything we do, counts for something and means something to somebody.  

I don't want to live my life always looking back, wishing I had done something different, or said something that didn't hurt someone.  Reality is that there is no "take-backs", no "do-overs", so we have to get it right the first time.

I'm reminded of an old quote: "Every choice we make probably seemed right at the time". Our choices are based on a lot of things that we have only so much control of - our life experience, our physical and emotional maturity, our financial means, and sometimes even our geographic location. When our conditions change, our choices often change.

Today, I know I'm making the best choices for my family I can, based on my current circumstances. Like you - heck, like everyone - I want my circumstances to change. When they do, my choices will change or stay the same accordingly.

There's really only one reason to look back at your old choices, and its NOT to foster regret. Instead it is to foster education. To learn from prior mistakes, to have a better understanding and appreciation of where you are by remembering where you have been. 

Learn from your past - laugh at it, shake your head its dismay, celebrate it - whatever. But don't spend too long there. If you do, before you know it you'll be looking at today with the same regrets, as it fades into the past as well.

Happy Monday! Thrive on!