If Only

Sound familiar? If only I had moved. If only I had listened to my parent’s advice.  If only I hadn’t been so eager to quit my job.  If only I had given the decision more careful consider­ation. “If only” I had taken care of my health. “If only” I had spent more time with my family. “If only” is our way of looking back with regret over things we did or didn’t do and wishing we had handled the outcome differently.  Talk about a waste of time, energy, and thinking.  Instead of focusing on the “if onlys” in our lives, consider what is to be gained by embracing them as learning lessons!

Some of us look at our lives and measure our performance as either successful or fail­ures. Imagine how different you’d feel if you changed your point of view and acknowledged those experiences that did not turn out the way you wanted as stepping stones for growth. Progress in our lives is possible when we learn from the past. It is not lamenting over what we wish we had done!