Je ne regrette rien

I regret that I turned down a funded place in an American University because my own Uni would not let the year out count towards my degree. I could have had a very different life.

Kate1949 it still isn't too late to make a decision to skip rather than plod. Or, maybe start with a purposeful walk. Other people can be nasty or loving and a million other things in between, only you can control how you respond to other people and ultimately whether you are happy or sad. You must have learned some serious survival strategies from your difficult childhood - maybe you don't even realise that is what they are - study a counselling course, it is an excellent way of learning about yourself and your own journey and maybe you could go on to help someone else to skip rather than plod?

My life is full of regrets but also full of love if I can wave a magic wand and change a few things I would but I'm trying not to look back

Yes, I do, not learning French at school, just joking I get the gist of your question, but I did learn Latin instead!
On a serious point I don't do regrets, I think it causes a lot of negative energy. I have done the best with my life and made reasonable decisions at the right time.
All in all I'm happy with my life up to now. Staying fairly healthy and counting my blessings are a priority from now on.

What is the point of regrets the past is behind us all,so all we can do is strive not to repeat our errors and to try to be the best person we can. Do not beat yourself up over what you cannot change, change what you still can and enjoy the life you have, sometimes easier said than done.

I regret not doing things because my mother wouldn’t approve. I missed so many opportunities.

I regret one or two big decisions I made but mostly I regret not slowing down and really listening to each one of my DC and supporting them more when they were young. I think they had to deal with a lot on their own because I was always busy ‘doing’ rather than living. Now none of those busy things matter, can’t even remember them. I’m trying to make up for it now, probably more successfully with the DGC.

Read The Midnight Library as it based on regrets and what might have happened!
I only have one but then I would not have had a wonderful daughter !!!

No major regrets for me but I do regret not taking my mum out of hospital so she could spend her last days in the peace and care of a private nursing home.

Leaving school at 17 against the advice of my parents, not going to uni until I was 50, wasting time in jobs I didn’t enjoy until I had finally got professional qualifications at 54

I am truly admiring of people who can put their mistakes and missed opportunities behind them, as no-one has a perfect, easy life with no scope for regret.

I do harbour so many regrets that I can’t put behind me. I am pretty plagued by them to be honest.

I have some regrets, yes. Kissing too many frogs to find a prince and having the confidence to say No more often.. That is in the far distance past and those 'errors; I feel mould the character. I regret not talking to my Dad more and finding out about my mum's mental health problems. I think I may have been more understanding. I regret not spending more time with her after my Dad died as she was extremely lonely but I was busy with my life, job, children, husband etc etc. I regret not being told she was dying as I would have made sure I was with her but I know that is not my fault.

anxiousgran

I am truly admiring of people who can put their mistakes and missed opportunities behind them, as no-one has a perfect, easy life with no scope for regret.

I do harbour so many regrets that I can’t put behind me. I am pretty plagued by them to be honest.

Me too !

Loads of regrets BUT I’ve no way of knowing how my alternative path would have turned out. For example when I met my, now ex husband, I was on the verge of moving to USA and could have spent my latter years under a Trump government

I wish I had been more assertive when I was younger and should have stood up for myself more. My life would have been different but I am comfortable with who I am now and I know my own mind.

What has happened in the past has happened. If there is something you can do to remedy the regretted actions then get on and do it.

If you can't, face up to it, absorb the lessons it taught you and let it be a guide to your current and future actions.

Too many people using emotions like regret and guilt as a get out of jail card. They are so busy regretting past actions or feeling guilty about them that they completely fail to deal with current problems or learn anything from their past actions and then justify current or future mistakes by talking about their regrets for past actions, as if that was sufficient justification for current bad decision making..

Oh. I feel very told off now.

Oh1 Not Spagetti what a lovely thought.
Wish I could go back to being a teenager but knowing everything I know now.
How different my life would be.

I regret marrying my first Husband too soon and at a very young age. I did it go get out of an awkward situation at home, living under the same roof as a very abusive Grandmother. In doing so, I really hurt the Man I truly loved, we had been together since I was 14, and he was 16, I broke his Heart, but did not realise how much I had hurt him until it was too late. He met and Married someone else when he was 21. Three years later he was tragically killed whilst riding his Bike to work. I often wonder what would have happened if I had taken a different path in life with him and not been so silly. Shortly afterwards, my own marriage failed and we divorced. Two years Later, I met and Married my DH, and we have been together now for over 34years. Strangely, my DH son from his First Marriage has exactly the same Christian names as my boyfrend who got killed, which I found very difficult and strange to get used to whenever I was in his company.

lucca my post wasn't aimed at you, nor at anyone in particular, I have just seen too many people who find it easier to bemoan past decisions than build a constructive life in the present and future.

Just to say MOnica, I don’t actually ‘bemoan’to anyone, in fact my short post was the first time I have ever said how I feel to anyone.
So I feel told off too.

anxiousgran read my last post, just above yours. I reiterate, I was not referring to anyone in particular. Just my opinion drawn from people of my acquaintance over a long life.

I wish I’d realised that university would have been a better choice than teacher training college in 1958. It was free and I had adequate A levels. I thought I knew best choosing to train for only two years. I was so wrong!

I have loads of regrets. I also worry a lot. When people say regret and worrying are pointless , it makes me cross . Everyone is different. Some people can shrug off the past and move on, others are very positive and don’t worry about anything . Perhaps with costly therapy those of us who do regret things in our past could be like that. But I wonder how empathetic we would be .

I regret not enjoying my life more.continual worrying and planning. now i live for the moment and try not to worry about things that may never happen .