This article originally appeared in Psychology Today.
Did you take the wrong path? Did you say the wrong words? Did you get stuck in old stories going on in your head that led you astray? Do wish you could call a “do over”?
How do you experience mistakes and missteps you’ve made? Most of us struggle with these questions and perhaps you do too.
Of course, many situations do not allow a “do-over.” As fully human beings, we typically learn to live with the “what if’s,” wondering how things might be different if we had made another choice. We seek ways to adjust to the losses and emotions that come with the mistakes.
Fill in the blank for your own regrets: “I wish I hadn’t _________________.”