Without Regrets:
7 Ways

Without Regrets: 7 Ways

Yesterday I went shopping with a dear friend. Two girls having fun in our Dutch capital city Amsterdam. This incredible city with its quarter of a million inhabitants of 177 [!] different nationalities is always inspiring and so full of life!

At one time we saw a store of a particular brand and my friend went inside. A couple of years ago she bought a dress of that brand, at that time available in two different colors. Since she bought the green one, she always regretted that she didn’t also buy the blue one, because she got quite fond of this dress. And I have seen her in it and she looks awesome in it, so she definitely should have bought the blue one too!

 
We all have stored those little regrets in our memory. Things that we wish we could have done differently, or something we wish we didn’t do. Regretting not buying that dress, eating that delicious piece of chocolate cake or not studying harder. And what about those bigger regrets? Regretting saying that one thing that broke up that relationship, regretting working so hard and not spending more time with the kids or regretting not living a life true to yourself.

As you get older you learn and grow, but that doesn’t mean that you have to regret what you did before you learned how to do things differently. If you didn’t go through those experiences, you might not have grown into the strong and knowledgeable person that you are today.

Let’s get rid of those negative thoughts, the could haves, might haves, and should haves, and start living a life that won’t make us feel regretful. Here is a list of seven things you can do to practice living life with no regrets:

 
#1
Realize that it is okay to make mistakes

Everyone makes terrible choices and everyone makes mistakes once in a while. Repair them if you can, learn from them, forgive yourself, and move on.

 
#2
Be true to yourself

The most common regret of dying people is not being true to themselves. Many of us care too much about what others think and let society’s expectations influence us. You have the freedom to make your life what you want it to be. If you were truly yourself what would your heart be telling you to do? What would bring meaning to your life?

 
#3
Be as weird as you are

Don’t be afraid to provoke the status quo. Yes, maybe some of your ideas are crazy. But crazy ideas shake the world. Crazy ideas cause revolutions. Don’t be afraid to be different, and don’t be afraid to break traditions. Be yourself and love who you are now.

 
#4
Stop wishing for what might have been

‘If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough’ ~Oprah Winfrey
Sometimes we get stuck, thinking the past, or our ‘lost opportunities’ are better than the present. You are nowhere when you live in the present dwelling on the past, dreaming of a future that never comes if you are not mindful about the present moment, about the now here. Live in the now by loving the present and being aware of your thoughts and actions. Think happy thoughts and speak powerful words. Just breathe and be thankful for all you have and are.

 
#5
Let go

Let yourself be happier in life. Don’t limit yourself by trying to keep up appearances and by ensuring life is comfortable and controlled. Your comfort zone is not necessarily a happy place. Step out ever so often and take a risk. When was the last time you were silly? What would make you laugh more?

 
#6
Express your feelings

Maybe you don’t speak up because you want to keep the peace or don’t want to make waves. Maybe you don’t because you are afraid of the feelings it might unlock in you. This is a damaging way to live. Speak your mind even if your voice shakes. So instead of being stuck in your mind, ask yourself how your thoughts and words might help the ones around you. Let people take you as you are, or not at all.

 
#7
Work less

So many people work themselves to exhaustion. And this is not just a guy-thing. Now that women work just as much they too are at risk of missing out on other important things in life. Do you let your work work dictate the priorities in your life? Have the courage to tell yourself you want something better. How about spending as much time with your children as you can? Buying them things is not the same as just hanging out with them. Pay attention to the small things and accept them as the valuable people that they are.

 
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Please comment below. I’d love to read your thoughts on this!

Mirjam Stoffels

Founder of seven2success, author of ‘Daily Little Secrets to Success’ and guest blogger at TEDxRoermond, Project Eve and 365 dagen succesvol. In my mission to make seven2success the biggest platform of knowledge and inspiration for women, I want to inspire you with our content! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! Let’s to connect! And do you want to inspire other women? Write for us!

 

 
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