Living a life without regret!
- Tamara Ellison
- May 3, 2017
- 3 min read
We all have experienced moments in our past where we wished we could have made a better decision. Regret and disappointment open the door to fear and cause us to forgo more opportunities due to past experiences. While driving in the journey of life regret is like a rear view mirror it's only able to show you the things you've passed up in life. Although you are facing forward in the car, your perception is limited to the missed opportunities of the past blinding you to all the possibilities ahead of you. This type of mindset applies to all areas of life, business, relationships, family, and self-image.
So how does one overcome regret you may ask? Three steps must take place to began overcoming disappointment and regret. These steps will not only equip you to overcome but will upgrade your perspective from impossible to possible.
The answers can be found in the following passage of scripture:
"No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,"Philippians 3:13 NLT
Step 1. Forgiving yourself for what you did or did not do.
This cleansing process is not easy but necessary to overcome regret. Notice the first thing mentioned in Philippians 3:13 is "No, dear brother and sister, I have not achieved it" It's okay that the thing you desire did not happen the way you thought it should have. This statement frees you from the guilt of the past and allows you to peruse new dreams and goals without the limitation of your past.
Step 2. Forget the past.
Yes, forget the should have's and would have's in your life. The word "forgetting" in the passage doesn't mean you won't remember what happened. The word "forgetting" means to stop caring about it. You have wasted time, money, and emotions on things you cannot change. Shift your focus and start caring about the future God has promised. So what it did not work last time, apply what you've learned to avoid repeated mistakes and go after what God has promised!
Step 3. Anticipate and peruse.
The first two steps upgrade your focus from looking out of the rear view mirror to looking out of the windshield in front of you. When driving, you have to anticipate what other drivers will do while proceeding forward to your destination. Steps 1 and 2 brings us to the last part of the passage "Looking forward to what lies ahead" Phill 3:13. You can anticipate possible setbacks, roadblocks, and collisions, so that you may avoid them and arrive safely at your destination. Despite all the things that can go wrong you focus on what lies ahead and repeat steps 1-3 when needed.
We cannot control every situation, but we can control how we react to them. The steps given are designed to be repeated daily or as often as need. There are times I have to repeat these steps several times throughout the day to experience the success I desire. Don't become a prisoner of the past, follow the steps listed above and unlock the possibilities of living a life without regret.
For more information register for my upcoming empowerment workshop were we will explore these steps in detail.
-Tamara Ellison
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