“Just remember, the same as a spectacular Vogue magazine, remember that no matter how close you follow the jumps: continued on page whatever. No matter how careful you are, there’s going to be a sense that you missed something, the collapsed feeling under your skin that you didn’t experience it all. There’s that fallen heart feeling that you rushed right through the moments where you should’ve been paying attention. Well, get used to that feeling. That’s how your whole life will feel some day. This is all practice. None of this matters. We’re just warming up.”
-Chuck Palahniuk (American freelance Journalist, Satirist, and Novelist)
People say it often, but is it really true that everyone has regrets? Do we really forget to live in the moments and let to many things pass by that we later regret not paying attention to? Is it really just a regret of seeing things happen and not acting upon them or the actions we actually take that are regretful?
Well, I am probably the most regretful person you will ever meet. Everything I do, or rather don't do, turns into a regret. Something that runs through my head for hours on end like the constant ticking of a clock. I don't know exactly why this is but its like no matter what I do, I cannot win. It is an everlasting personal battle. If I do something I felt was right, I consistently second-guess myself on whether that was actually the right choice. Should I not have done that? Was there something else I could have done instead? Or, on the other hand, and actually this one is the much more frequent battle: the regret of not doing what I want. Is this really going to be what my whole life is like? NO. It will not. Because you see, it does not matter whether the timing is right or whether others will judge you for your decisions. More often than not, things are not always going to turn out the way we planned. That's life. There is a distinct possibility that I, and anyone else who feels the way I do, will always have that "collapsed feeling under your skin that you didn't experience it all". But personally, I plan to make myself unstoppable. if this is all "just practice" then nothing will stop me from living in the moment. Nothing will compromise my happiness or get in the way of my wants. If I go out and try to live everyday on my own terms then at the end of the day, I will be able to say "Hey, I don't regret anything. I did all I could."
But then again, some things are easier said than done...
What is your interpretation of this quote? How does it make you feel?
2 comments:
I totally agree...today I think of what I should have done ten years ago and might not have the chance to od again...what about twenty years from now, how many more regrets people will have?
I'm totally the same way. I am very indecisive and then after I do something, I second guess myself multiple times. I hope to be able to let go of some of that as time goes on. Have you read, "For one more Day"? It's by Mitch Albom. He writes great books about living with no regrets, and getting the most out of life.
AMAZING POST!! :-)
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