I just lost what I considered an inspired blog post by pushing a wrong button on my computer. Poof- gone, no thanks to autosave. I have to decide whether to reconstruct it or not. I know what it said and what message it conveyed, but I now get to reconsider whether I should rewrite it… Is the message worth conveying enough to take the time to do it?
Sometimes in life things, opportunities and people disappear- poof! and we don’t get that chance to interact with them again. Then we are left to wonder whether we have done enough so far anyway, or whether it’s worth doing it over again, if we can.
I guess to live a life with fewest regrets it comes down to living as fully in each moment as possible. Not always easy, even if we know the formula. It takes a fair amount of personal focus, mental discipline and emotional steadiness. And just plain old not being distracted; not an easy feat in our uber-tantalizing consumer oriented sound-bite society. I know in my case I can be fully present- in fact for me it’s part of getting into my creative flow zone….except I’m often present at multiple things at once. So….does that dilute the formula? Yes, AND I also experience lots more than many people. But I suspect there are trade-offs over time in depth of certain experiences. Mostly in relationships, or in any area where you desire mastery, because they take consistent investments of attention and intention over time.
Maybe I’m thinking of this because we recently passed the birthday of my now deceased older brother. He died rather suddenly, poof, and we never got a chance to say goodbye. No second chance, except in the vibrational world. Worse, we had assumed we’d both be there for each other for a long time, so unwittingly squandered the time we had. Oh well. I can’t rectify that relationship, but I bet I can do something with the ones in front of me now.
Regret is best designed out ahead of time and involves investment in being present in your chosen focus areas, be they relationships or projects. It takes mental discipline which must be built up over time, but the rewards are rich and well worth the investment.
Right now, set your timer for 2 minutes, then close your eyes, sit still, and breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose then slowly out your mouth. Pay attention to your body sensations, notice what sounds your hear in your environment, and tune in to how your mind is behaving. If you actually concentrate like this for 2 minutes a day, very soon you are thinking and acting from a more grounded position of power. Now that’s worth investing in!