Regrets, I’ve Had a Few…
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Life is for learning, right? Even my biggest mistakes came gift-wrapped as opportunities to grow and ensure I didn’t repeat them. And while I didn’t always learn the first or even the second time, the wisdom I have gathered over the years has brought me insight and the ability to adjust my sails as each storm passed.
Since the age of 40, I’ve benefited from great guidance through coaches who have helped me extract lessons from every misstep. Some mistakes were self-inflicted, others handed to me on a silver platter. Many were painful, but I wear them as badges of honour in my PhD journey through life.
Reflection: Do you think about how your greatest adversities have shaped who you are today?
Here are five of my personal regrets:
1. Not Trusting Myself
For my first four decades, I didn’t trust myself, often with good reason! My success in a corporate career was fuelled by excessive work hours and masking destructive behaviours.
The turning point came before 40, when my company sponsored their senior managers to take an NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) training program. After much resistance, I unlocked a relentless refusal to give my childhood wounds the power to define the rest of my life. I learned that courage isn’t the absence of fear but the refusal to let it stop us. Now, I trust my abilities, focus on consistent delivery, and leap - even when terrified.
2. Never Learning to Ski
In my dreams, I’m racing down the slopes at Whistler in a chic ski outfit. In reality, I’ve never even been on skis! Some dreams are for the next lifetime, but I’m planning ice skating lessons next year… right after I master swimming.
3. Wasting Time
Youth is wasted on the young. I wasted time stressing over:
Taming my wild curly hair
Crying over fleeting infatuations
Worrying about whether my jeans made my butt look big
I squandered hours chasing unachievable perfection, not understanding that I’d never be younger or more fabulous than in that very moment.
4. “Don’t Die With the Music Still in You”
Dr. Wayne Dyer
One of the most incredible experiences of my life was finally attending Glastonbury, albeit too late to do it again, it almost killed me this first time 🙂
I’ll never forget bumping into Sir Michael Eavis, the festival’s founder. We danced and laughed for less than an hour, but it created a life long treasured memory.
5. With Hindsight, Comes Wisdom
“Old enough to know better, but young enough to do it anyway.”
Brigitte Bardot
Regrets? Sure, I’ve had a few. But every curveball and foolish decision has shaped who I am today. Decades of living and learning have taught me this: True power lies not in the number of storms we face but in how we navigate the journey.