Does anyone else live with real regret?

Question

I'm struggling with "letting go" of things from my past that I truly regret. Has anyone else had this problem and if so, how did you ever really get past it? I have made lots of mistakes and sometimes I am haunted with memories of the past that won't let go.

Answer 1

I think you need to forgive yourself. Let yourself feel the pain of regret - stand in front of the mirror, look yourself in the eye and say 'I forgive you'.

If there are regrets over what you have done to someone else, perhaps you need to ask their forgiveness before you forgive yourself. Even if they don't accept, you can still release yourself knowing you did all you could.

Every time the regrets pop up, remember that you are forgiven, even make a habit of telling yourself, 'I forgive you'. You have the power to do that - nobody can take it away.

Answer 2

For a start it shows you are a good person essentially. You have a conscience, not many folk do. Depending on the gravity of what has happened in the past, ask yourself what you can do to fix it, ie do you feel the need to apologise by phone/card/face to face? Would this be beneficial to the other person involved? Or would it re open old wounds and make things worse? Everyone makes mistakes, some bigger than others. You have obviously learned from your mistakes and need to move on. Do something like write down what you want to let go of, send good thoughts of hope and love to that person and burn the piece of paper. MOVE ON. If your problems are more serious you may benefit talking them through with someone totally confidentially. Just getting them out of your head will help and there are lots of organisations you can call. Good luck

Answer 3

We all live with some kind of regret, I think the best things to do is to accept that we all sometimes make mistakes. No matter how hard you try you will always make some mistakes and you will regret afterward. You should look at this as something that you can learn from, as just one lesson in your life. Is not about letting it go but accepting it.

Answer 4

I have been there countless times, and it seems that I am there again...but I can honestly say that I have learned a lot from these last mistakes. To the tune of: I've been there, done that and will do it again when given the unfortunate opportunity, but hopefully these new mistakes will make me that much wiser so I'm better prepared for the next set of mistakes.
The important thing is, is that we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and try try again.
Never let your problems put you in a choke hold.
Sometimes they seem overwhelming & earth shattering, but so are other people's mistakes. Just be glad that we only get to make our own mistakes. We can't make them for anyone else. Own up to them, and move on to the next set.

Answer 5

yea...i didnt think anyone felt or thought about regret as much as me, every single day I go through it. holding onto negative thoughts that only bring me down and I cant help it, so at least your not alone. i constantly think about well, what if i did this or didnt do that...would things be better nowadays...and my answer in my head is probably. but also the other side of my brain starts telling me, it could be worse. There are so many people who have it a million times worse and ive always been reminded to be grateful for the shhit i do have. it helps me get through a lot of the everyday regrets which seem to hold me back unfortunately. I wish you luck but i can almost guarentee it will get better and one day you'll tell yourself you worried and regretted...and it got you no where. Be STRONG. Keep moving. Keep goin. Dont ever quit. and remember...BE STRONG

Answer 6

I regret, the regret... Edith Piaf's song is "Non je ne regrette rien" is an old song, by a tiny little French singer World famous in the fifty's she sang, drank and lived life to the fullest. Drugs she abused too, I think Heroine her thing. Can't ask my parents anymore, but they loved her music and looked passed the drug abuse which I think is a good thing... Abuse shows itself outward.... Like I'm imprisoned by many facts of life, my 22 year old son (monstrous) imprisons me by abusing my house and my only source of income The state Netherlands, abuses me out of sheer jealousy. I have no internet site, not that I don't want to... Costly would be my product. For true advise is always abused, by the seeker of it... I cannot start a business here, for ideas are always duplicated in bad fashion. I have no real associates, but I want work and a life, and I have none... I cry wrighting this, my life being over and done with. I'm 49 and burried by my country's political attitude with no way out.. Something to regret ??? Hell no.. Yahoo Ja hoe is Yes How (pronounciation), then I say may I help you... Do not ask me what it costs, some answers take me up to 18 hours of think work, The answers have to be honest and alive... Do I have regrets, only that I didn't win The postcode lotery in 1996 as programmed. Dishonesty pays the Devil as usual... And we the poor and discarded are home free.
I regret nothing which is not the same as empty....

Answer 7

I did this and still sometimes think about it but no more in a way of regret but things i did once and learned my lesson, so It won¸t happen again.
You can let go only when you truly move on weather It means changing your surroundings and start from beginning.

Answer 8

we all have regrets as a matter of fact i recently wrote a check on a deposit for something and thought it over and decided to cancel the check until i really thought this over clearly so i won't have regretted my decison. so to answer you regrets come after we jump into an action or no action with out giving most deliberate and thorough thoughts. in the future be more open to thinking about decisions so few regrets eill occur.

Answer 9

I know the feeling, for me it can be small things that I don't think other people would think about at all. Saying it doesn't matter isn't the solution because then the worries would have been gone right?

Its that they run round and round in your head and need to be let out but where and how?

Best thing is to talk about them and what they realy do to you, talk to a person you trust or don't know at all (like a professional).

Answer 10

It's ok. You can not ignore something that did happen physically. But sub-consicuely (sp?) we want to pretend it didn't happen. It did; but just say ' Well shoot, I shouldn't have done that' ' Oh well, I'll make sure that won't happen'. Don't get frustruated about things in the past. It only makes the future shorter for you.

Like the saying goes: "Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me." It's just Earth's way of fooling everybody.