Could, Woulda, Shoulda
As human beings, we've all had regrets at one point or another in our lives. We wish we had studied more on that biology test; we wish we had talked to that cute guy who was smiling at you while out grocery shopping last week; or we wish we had paid more attention to our lover when we actually had them. In fact, according to a blog on the New York Times, researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that the most common regret among American adults involves a lost romantic opportunity. Other top regrets involved education (13 percent), career (12 percent), money issues (10 percent), parenting mistakes (9 percent) and health regrets (6 percent), according to the study, to be published in the journal Social Psychological & Personality Science.
Personally, I think the old cliché: "You only regret the chances you didn't take" is absolutely spot-on. Some of my regrets stem from the things I wish I could've and should've said. However, most of my biggest regrets come from the fact that I didn't appreciate the things that I had. I'm sure almost all of us can relate to this. You know how it goes: you have something and you take it completely for granted. Then one day, you no longer have it. That's when you realize how important it'd always been for you. That "something" could be anything -- it could be your limbs, your life, your youth, your job, or opportunities. But the most tragic thing is when we take people in our lives for granted. In this time of age, we tend to prioritize material things, wealth and career over our family and loved ones. That makes me very sad. Until you're sitting at home alone, surrounded by your wealth and success, that you realize how depressing life without people who care about you can be.
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Sometimes we let someone very special to us go, because we just can't see how important they are. Maybe we're scared or we are just exploring our options. The truth is, we never truly understand the value of something until it's gone. The song below by Passenger is the perfect example of that. Unfortunately, while we're pacing around on the platform, deciding whether or not to jump on board, we end up missing the train because it's already left the station. Great opportunities rarely come twice. A great person doesn't wait around for you to decide whether you want them in your life or not.
There are times when we convince ourselves that that person will come back because we're special; because we're one in a million; because they simply have to! Truth of the matter is, we're all replaceable. There are seven billion people in the world. If you can't prove yourself to be worthy enough to cherish and treat someone the way they deserve, they will eventually go find someone else. It's just very sad to see someone who spends ages being haunted by the ghost of "the one who got away".
Now that all's been said, I just want to end this post by urging you guys to go out there and do what you've always wanted to do and say what you've always wanted to say -- before it's too late. Life is too short; we never know how many more "tomorrow"s we have left. Go hug your loved ones and fight back for the girl/boy that you've let go. Take care and enjoy this song! It's one of my personal favorites.
Love, Catherine
XOXO
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