No Regrets

"No regrets," I said softly as both statement and question. "No regrets," she replied.

"Sufficient unto today are the troubles thereof." Why add to that with self-imposed baggage of regrets, bitterness, jealousy, vengeance or revenge?

Life is to be experienced and not all experiences turn out quite like we hoped, expected or dreamed. So be it. Life continues on and more experiences await us with wisdom that grows every day, making the next experience more meaningful and rich.

Recent events have given me pause to wonder and consider what enables people to "move on down the road" of life without loading up their personal suitcases with the burdens described above. Two things, I believe: faith and love...for self and others. Those things enable us to make decisions, take action and accept consequences as part of the ebb and flow of life. Perhaps one more ingredient to add to that mix of personal strength and perseverance: perspective. Can we look at our actions and inactions, decisions and indecisions, bravery and fears from the high-level perspective of a lifetime that is being experienced in the grandness of Creation and eternity?

So now I have a new daily mantra of sorts: no regrets. That is not a passport for irresponsibility, but a statement and a question I present myself after a day of making the best decisions that I could in a day of faith and love when I used the best of who I am to be the man with foibles that I am.   If I brought the best of who I am to each moment-and sometimes the "best" is admittedly not so great in some moments-then I can say..."no regrets."

 Listen to Life is a free newsletter about learning and getting more from life by paying attention to our own stories and the stories of others, based on the presentations, writings, photography and workshops by Dion McInnis (www.dionmcinnis.com).  Copyright 2011 Dion McInnis.  All rights reserved.