Do You Regret What You Did Do, or What You Didn’t Do?
—Grace & Truth Linkup
Looking back over the length of your life, what do you regret?
Just this past month, what do you regret?
Interestingly, studies show that in the short run, people regret things that they did.
- Words spoken in anger.
- Making a mistake at work.
- Eating the extra cookie.
But in the long run, people regret things they didn’t do.
- Not finishing their education.
- Not opening a business.
- Not asking out that person.
While we live daily in the short run, we create a meaningful life over the long run.
So ask yourself today:
Is there something I’m not doing that I will regret later?
While it’s more comfortable to remain passive than to make a change, it’s our decisions of action that we’re usually most proud of.
And who knows? Maybe we’ll mess those up, too, and they’ll become short-term regrets. Either way, God will be with us to help us out.
But perhaps it’s easier to live with the disappointment of trying and failing, than to live with the long-term regret of never trying at all.
Grace & Truth Featured Post
As Michele turns 60 years old, she’s making changes to immerse herself in the things that matter most, the places where God is showing her to go deep. Read all of Michele’s post here at her blog, then link up your own blog posts below.
“I’m Not Interested in Standing on the Fringes of Life”
Do you have any long-term or short-term regrets? Are they about something you did do or something you didn’t do? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Read More:
- Let Go of This to Make Quicker Decisions
- I Have No Regrets for This
- 5 Scriptures for Making Better Decisions
I’m linking at these blog parties and with Paula
Review the rules here about adding your most recent Christian Living posts and how to be the Featured Post. Visit all four hosts social media here or websites here: Maree Dee, Lisa notes, Lauren Sparks, Tammy Kennington.
Now Let’s Link Up!
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter
So honored and encouraged by this feature. I appreciate your good work here, Lisa. You have become a gatherer of souls in your virtual world and it seems to be happening in person, too.
funny you should write this, Lisa. this week i was feeling like i’ve missed so much along the way. 67 does that to you …
Often the things I did NOT do or did NOT finish!
I try not to live with regret.
Instead, I look for the lesson in my less-than-stellar experiences and move forward.
I try not to live with regret Lisa.
I prefer to embrace gratitude for the present & learn from past mistakes moving forward. ☺️
blessings, Jennifer
oh boy are you ever taking to me. before my relationship with Jesus started to take off full force I was plagued by regret it was even an add anxiety inducer. But now, you know… Because Jesus I was able to throw regret away.
visiting today from G&T
And thanking you bunches for linking up with Sweet Tea & Friends this month. don’t forget to dig into your archives to see if you have any older posts that could use some love and attention too.
That is such a good question to ask oneself, and a good way of turning the ‘regret thoughts’ into a more positive approach. Thanks for the party.
I’m often haunted by the things I said that came out wrong – where I wished I could have “put a foot” or a word differently – but, then, maybe that’s Satan tormenting me with are part of the growing up to be 100! Photography has taught me not to wait – to step forward, snap what I see because I might not be able to get that same light, that same haze, that same same tomorrow. I appreciate your topic today – because if I am living to 100 – then I don’t want to grow regret over the next 40 years. I want to live fully – and that means stepping up now!
Ohhh! That’s a good question! I regret many things about my parenting style when our girls were young. But I don’t regret the many adventures we went on. I’m learning to ask forgiveness for past mistakes (regrets) and make time in my life to do things I’ve always wanted to do.
Regrets, sure-but I do not dwell on them. I ask God to help me better than I was yesterday. Excellent points here to ponder.