15 Ways To Avoid Regret In Your Life

by Maku Seun
(Nigeria)

“I don’t regret the things I’ve done, I only regret the things I did not do when I had the chance“.
– Anonymous

Most people live their lives in regret; and regret, if you have ever had the misfortune of experiencing it, is not a very nice thing to experience. You must do the things you need to do to avoid regrets in your life.

At the point when individuals think back on their lives, what are probably the most widely recognized regrets they have?

That is a significant inquiry we have to stop and ask all the more regularly. A few people think back and say the greatest regret they had was to not have kids. Others think back and say their greatest regret was in regards to lost time.

Whatever the case, it’s critical to take a look at how you are carrying on with your life and consider how you can avoid regrets. Many things we do that causes regrets later in life are very much avoidable.

How to avoid regrets later on in your life.
Don’t follow someone else’s dreams:
So many of us are living other people’s dreams. Be it our parents, guardians and other authoritative figures in our lives. We all have dreams and should endeavor to follow those dreams to the latter irrespective of what others may think. You can please everyone and should look to please you and do what is right for you.

Stop taking your loved ones for granted:
Your children won’t be children for ever and would grow up to become adults and not have time for you as much. They may never even call and your parents will not be parents forever, they will leave you someday. So make sure you endeavor to spend every waking moment with them and appreciate them while you still have the opportunity to do so.

Stop pretending to be someone else:
Imitation is suicide. When we pretend to be someone we are not, we are spending so much time not being who we are and in that situation, we are spending a whole lot of time not living. You are the person you know very well and if you spend your time living someone else’s life you will only end up being a copycat instead of being the very best you could be and be number one at it.

The most inspiring people in the world are true to themselves and when you are true to yourself, you will be at ease and will only attract like-minded people in your life that will help you live a more fulfilling life.

Don’t Burn all your bridges:
Life is a journey of ups and downs and you will have to kind to people on your way up because you will meet them on your way down. Don’t burn the bridges of your past as you may need them later in life.

Always tell the truth:
Lies destroy families and relationships and sometimes, permanently. When you tell a lie you will have to back that lie with another and another until you have a whole tangled web of lies that cannot be remedied even if you want to. True relationships have their foundation in the truth and lasts forever. Always endeavour to tell the truth in every situations as telling a lie can lead to future regrets.

Live in the moment:
Have you ever noticed that when you were a kid time seemed to be really slow and now that you are an adult, time moves really fast? That is because as kids, we always lived in the moment and as adults, we are always thinking of our next scheme and idea and business that time just seems to fly past us. Take your timeto experience the now as you may regret it later in the future when you look into the mirror and ask where all the time went.

Don’t give up on true love:
This is one of the biggest areas of regret for most people as they reject love because of fear, work or other excuses they give themselves. When you happen to find true and real love, cherish and nurture it well so that you don’t end up regretting it in the future.

Make others happy:
The mark of a true existence is in the ability to make other people’s lives better and easier. Strive to make people happy and you will be happy yourself. Mid-life crises is mainly made up of regrets and one way to alleviate this regret period is to find a way to make people’s lives better. Do something good for someone, help an orphan. In the end it is not about your possessions but how many lives you touched.

Stand up for yourself:
Many adults have always regretted not standing up for themselves when they had the opportunity to do so. Do not let people take you or any other person for that matter for granted. When I resumed secondary school there was this kid who tried to bully me. I warned him on many occasions to leave me alone and when he refused I had to punch him in the face. He punched me back but never disturbed me again. Not that I am advocating violence but when someone tries to take advantage of you, you fight back. Then they will know that you cannot be toiled with.

Take care of your health:
It cannot be over-emphasized that health is wealth. You can have all the money in the world but without your health, it is nothing. Make sure you have a regular check-up and exercise and eat right.

Experience more:
This is one of the regrets of the dying, that they wished they had experienced more out of life. Travel, go out with friends, see places and experience life because that what we are supposed to do while being alive, live.

Listen more:
Surely, we all have lots to say but it is better when we listen. Listen to your spouse, listen to your kids and listen to your friends instead of talking all the time. Listen to the advice of your doctors and parents, family members and well wishers.

Don’t fear failure:
Dare. Don’t be afraid to fail and take risks. On their death beds, most people always regret not taking chances on life and doing what they wanted to do and follow their dreams.

Don’t wait:
There is no time again, if you have a dream, chase it. If there’s someone you like, let them know because you will always come second to someone who has taken the initiative to do something with their lives.

Talk to an elderly person:
Old people regret lots of things and talking to them, they will tell you what to do and what no to do. Unfortunately, most of us see our old people as outdated and think that old people have nothing to teach us. If you hope on avoiding regrets in the future, make sure you listen to the advice of those better than you.

Author Bio
Maku Seun is an author, an entrepreneur and a blogger. Go to www.makuseun.com to check out his website.