Moving Forward without Regrets

As we progress through life, we face various wins and upsets. We are afflicted with moments that make us crawl under the protection of our blankets and moments that inspire us to get out of our shell and show the world who we really are.  Often, our fear of these upsets make us stop taking risks, taking that extra step, or simply striving for more. We settle for mediocrity because we're scared to climb and fall off that summit that towers above us.

However, as I'm progressing through my own journey of ups and downs, I've realized a key idea. What I'm truly afraid of are not the bad moments we are all bound to experience; rather, the truly frightening idea is getting to the end of my journey full of regret, full of "should'ves" and "could'ves." I'm afraid of reaching the destination and wishing to go back to make different decisions. That is what truly frightens me.

That is why I've scoured far and wide on the world wide web in search of answers. After long hours of google searches, I've found answers...actually two answers which I would like to share with you. These are 2 fundemental ideas that I plan to live by to ensure every decision I make, good or bad, is something I can be happy with, learn from, and more importantly, not regret.

1. Live your own life

I've learned that as we grow up and transition from childhood to adolescence and then adulthood, we start to ignore what we want and instead work to make others happy. We start to let others make decisions for us, decide how we should live and who we should be with, and we start to crave their approval. We begin to live for the sole purpose of maintaining a public image that satisfies and pleases the friends, collegues, or significant others we put on a pedestal. Yet, none of that brings true fulfillment. Chasing validation from others is going to bring nothing but artificial and temporary joy. Start pursuing dreams and goals because you geniunely want to. Stop caring about what other people think and live the life you want. Don't put on this mask that hides who you truly are for the mere purpose of getting approval from others. Be you, not because it's the "cool" thing to do, not because you have something to prove, but because of the fact that there are over 7 billion people in this world and not one of them - not a single one - acts, thinks, and performs the way you do. You are unique so why take that rare gem you possess and cover it with something generic.

2. Nothing Lasts

This idea is kind of simple but often taken for granted. We sometimes forget that the items we possess, the relationships we have, and the life we live is temporary. That is why we postpone completing certain tasks because we think there's always a tomorrow - and that is our mistake. Don't take anything for granted because tomorrow is not a given. So take that extra moment to tell that special someone how much you care for them or complete that goal you've been putting off. Squeeze every drop out of every day so that every time you go to bed you feel exhausted. 

Alright... that's it.