It’ s a tricky thing, regret. We’re supposed to not have it, to not allow it to get to us. “Don’t dwell on the past. That doesn’t get you anywhere”, the mantra goes. But we all have things that we’ve done that we feel bad about, that we wish we could change or at least forget about. But the memories seem to rush back in at odd times, distracting us from the Now, holding us back from being fully present.

If you believe you are fully in control of your life and your decisions, you need to remember that at the point, you chose that action, you decided on those words that brought you to that outcome. It was your choice.

If you also believe that life is about learning and growing, then you know that even what may seem the worst outcomes are chances to grow, chances to change and to do things differently the next time.

Sometimes we look at our scars with pride, sometimes with sadness, sometimes with regret. But we should immediately follow those thoughts with a reminder of what we’ve learnt from them and how that’s changed us for the better.