Saturday, January 3, 2015

What Does ‘Living With No Regret’ Mean to You? Join The Discussion…

It is always a good practice to reflect over past years as we approach the dawning of a new year. Many people begin the New Year making resolutions related to personal, professional and spiritual growth.  Yet, there are those who end each year frustrated over failed plans, disappointed hopes and deferred dreams.

In my musings, one of the thoughts that I have been struggling with is the idea of ‘Living With No Regret’.  Intrigued by this thought, I decided to ask a few women to answer the question, “What Does ‘Living With No Regret’ Mean to you?  Read how these women answered this question and join the discussion!

  •     Living with no regret for me is making decisions based upon what is best for me at the time while considering how God created me rather than what others may feel is best for me.

          Meldora Skaggs

  •          To me living with no regret means: Living with passion, purpose and vigor while viewing past mistakes and failures as life’s lessons!

          Aisha Ferguson

  •           Living with no regret means trying everything that you believe you can do and not being stopped by your fears or anyone else’s fears for you. Life without regrets means changing your definition of failure and success.

          Deborah Woods

  •           Living with no regret for me means there are no mistakes in life only life lessons that mold and shape our character. Living with no regrets means our options are limitless.

         Ebony Steiner

  •           Interesting question… I am not certain we can live with no regret. In reflection of my life, I have decisions, behaviors, thoughts and actions I either regret I participated in or allowed, or regret I did not follow with full passion. Regret can be a self-check to ensure that one is living with compassion and the realization that in our human frailty mistakes are made. However, I do know that I can live without condemnation for the decisions I regret. As the Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 8:1, “Now there is no more condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” To this I fully embrace that I am not condemned and forever bound by regretful choices. I can live free of the past and fully embrace each day as an opportunity to live in The Light!

          Yolonda Griffin-Johnson

  •          Thought provoking question! I would like to say that I live a life with no regrets, but that’s not true. I have regrets but those regrets do not have me. Each year on my birthday, I look back to compare where I am with where I thought I would be or planned to be on that day. Some years I’m pleased with what I see and some years I stare at the would’a, could’a, should’a of the things that did not add up or rise up to full expectation. However, I don’t stop there I re-evaluate, forgive myself and use those failures, delayed, untimely and unfulfilled experiences as rungs on my ladder and I give myself permission to begin again or simply pick up the pieces and move forward, prayerfully and without regrets, realizing that I might encounter more things that I will regret but it will not be regret over the same mistakes.

          Billie Boyd-Cox

  •           Living with no regrets for me is about learning to accept my imperfections as well as others. It’s about a conscious decision or mindset that I impose on myself knowing that when I’ve done my best, I can move on to the next thing. It’s a daily, intentional choice I make to celebrate any progress or regression knowing I have more hours in a day, more weeks in a year to course correct or accept my actions as is. Living with no regret s free and keeps me from competing with others. It also keeps me humble before God realizing that I am a part of a larger process that’s not entirely all mine.

          Hope Sutton

  •          “Living with no regrets” means to me living a healthy wholesome life despite failures, disappointments, and mistakes. I see the statement as a paradox. If we live, we will have regrets. But to soar (really live), we must live above our regrets.

          Sabrina J. Ellis

I agree like most, I’m not sure if we can totally live our lives void of regret. For me, living with no regret (or minimizing my regret) means learning from past mistakes, overcoming self-defeating patterns, aligning my actions with my God-given gifts, skills and abilities, understanding the purpose and plan of God, focusing on my life calling, taking care of myself (spirit, soul and body), appreciating and spending quality time with my family and significant relationships, forgiving those who have hurt me, remaining vulnerable to love those who may hurt me, playing hard, working hard, traveling and seeing the world and living life with vigor and passion!

What Does ‘Living With No Regret’ Mean to You? Join the discussion by leaving your comments on my blog. Gather your family and friends and start a healthy discussion around this topic, and take time in this New Year to LIVE!

Dr. Toni G. Alvarado, President
Targeted Living Coaching & Consulting, LLC

www.drtonialvarado.com
www.targeted-living.com