The stories I share in The Drive Home series are reflections of my past—indiscretions or otherwise. From an outsider’s standpoint it’s easy to make judgments on someone’s behavior and it really can’t be helped as it’s a part of our nature. We witness it all the time on social media—a place where people conveniently hide behind a keyboard. If you haven’t met or spent time with me, you really don’t know who I am. We ALL have a past and it’s laden with things we aren’t proud of. The only credible judgements are self-induced.
A few regrets lived with me far too long. It has become therapeutic to unburden my self-induced shame. My husband made it simple—he said there’s no reason for regret to weigh you down. You did what you wanted at the time, for the person you were then. Just because you wish you hadn’t, there’s nothing you can do about it now.
Accept. Learn. Move on.
When I started this series, I shared that the regret phase of my life is a place I no longer visit. I used to make stops there due to one person—Pedro. I’m sure just by sharing the circumstances, you’ll understand why I allowed the regret to fester for so long. Then again, this was a full-blown affair that lasted three years—which is why I’m dividing it into two stories.
German philosopher Nietzsche said we should minimize the cost of regret, accepting its good and bad consequences. He advocates accepting the past and just be happy with your life. This doesn’t mean being passive and not trying to improve, but work on enhancing the positive aspects of your life.
Buckle up… this is a long road toward acceptance.