​LET GO OF REGRETS

            We can stare at an old photograph all day and never change its composition, but we attempt to do just that if we’ve ever dwelled on the past with regret.

            Through the years, I’ve met many people tortured by regrets.  They dissect the past as if it were their lab assignment.  Even worse, they’ve barricaded themselves in the stale lab and refuse to come out to enjoy the fresh air of the present.

            Sometimes we learn what we need to know only after it’s too late to apply it.  That opportunity is gone, but we must turn from our regret, taking the lessons learned through pain and sadness and applying these, now, to some good purpose.

            Two of the most powerful words in the English language are “let go.”  If we’ve made foolish choices and embarrassing mistakes in the past, we’ve joined the ranks of everyone who has ever lived.  But if we’ve learned from our errors, made any needed adjustment and left all our regrets behind,  we’re among the minority and should congratulate ourselves.
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            It’s impossible to close the book on your past if you focus on, memorize, and repeat everything written there.  Commit yourself now to letting go.  No one can travel back to yesterday, so why keep planning an itinerary for the trip?