How can you prevent regretting your life?

Question

I'd heard this before, but I came across the full version of a quote by Hubert Selby Jr today; his explanation of why he became a writer. Very profound stuff.

I was sitting at home and had a profound experience. I experienced, in all of my Being, that someday I was going to die, and it wouldn't be like it had been happening, almost dying but somehow staying alive, but I would just die! And two things would happen right before I died: I would regret my entire life; I would want to live it over again. This terrified me. The thought that I would live my entire life, look at it and realize I blew it forced me to do something with my life.


So this begs the question: how can we live lives that are not only fulfilled, but lived to our potential? What sort of activities should take the highest priority: fostering relationships? volunteering? spreading our moral imperitives?

I hate existential quandaries. (Adding more details, give me a minute.)

Suppose that when you die, you discover nothingness awaits you. Your god will not reward you, and you underworld will not punish you. Before your mind reaches the point of no return, what purpose do you wish to look back on with contentment?

Answer 1

Whenever you go astray, return to the righteousness as fast as possible. This is the only way to prevent regretting.

Answer 2

I knew as a young child that I wanted an adventurous life and that I didn't want to look back when on my death bed with feelings that I had been afraid to travel paths that I wanted to follow. I am 59 and I certainly do have some regrets about decisions I've made, but I don't beat myself up regarding them.

If I died tomorrow, that younger me would not be dissappointed. My life has been a great adventure in as many different ways I could think of. I've explored the world, I've explored myself, I've explored thru study of history and science. I continue to explore my own creativity. I've followed very many different roads and where that would not be a good thing for a lot of people, it was perfect for me.

I believe, go where you are drawn, where your joy is, you will live a life that you won't regret. I've found out something very interesting about that--- sometimes I am drawn down a particular road and find after I,m on that road for a while, something else becomes available to me that would not have if I hadn't gone done that first road. So I stay flexible and my life is a continuous adventure.

Just remember that we are not perfect so there will probably always be some kind of regrets. We can't be all things to all people and that goes for ourselves, too.

Also, you can travel one road for a period of time and then another. There are millions of roads that would be good for you. Knowing that, you really free yourself up when making decisions. Everything does not just come down to either -or.
Countless directions can be happy, fulfilling, joyful, helpful, etc.

Answer 3

I know that I will have no regrets for the things I've done because I make peace with them, I learned from everything I did that brought me here today and the future to what I am, and I like me. Will I regret not going to Italy, or meting President Carter, or even haveing a book published, Etc. I don't know on my death bed, maybe I will accomplish some of these things, I've got a ways to go yet, but my hope is that I see what I did do and have no regrets about what I didn't. That's the best I can give you, I'm at peace with myself now and hope I am at my time of death. :)

Answer 4

You can't live your life to its potential, because there isn't one single potential for every life. Due to all of the decisions humans take during one lifetime, they guide their life in one direction, when in fact there are an infinite number of directions their life could have.
It could be that someone who puts fostering relationships as their highest priority ends up living their life to their potential, but it could just as well be the person who chose to spread their moral imperitive who ends up living their life to their potential. It just depends what that person wants out of their short time on earth.

And now less general and more to the point: how can you prevent regretting your life? By making sure you choose everything you can choose in life with your whole heart. Whatever you do, make sure you know why you're doing it and believe in it 100%. The direction you (sub)conciously choose for your life should be the one you get most joy out of.

Answer 5

i think before you do anything think about how will this effect me in long- term, like smoking, if u smoke, u could get lung cancer, think about things before u do them that way u wont look back with regrets. As far as the dying part, i think everyone has a oint in there life were they think they are afraid or what to die. And most people are scared. What you probably thought of was reincarnation. Or maybe you thought about heaven or hell. You will die, if you believe in god you will be in heaven, and there you will live again with him forever.You'll be dead in physical world we live in now, but be alive in spiritual( afterlife) world.

Answer 6

There comes the reincarnation to the rescue----that aims until you attain perfection. It's either you believe or you do not but it's something you can ponder about for a change.

It is also a possibility that your dream is sending you a message to keep up with important decisions right now before it gets too late.

Answer 7

ok, regret is a useless emotion, it never makes you feel any better and you cant change the past.