Thursday, November 14

Regret {Writers Reveal Prompt}

This month's prompt was given to me by the ever lovely Jodi, who is currently powering her way through the arduous task of writing fifty thousand words in the space of thirty days.

I guess my first regret could be that I have not tried hard enough to make time to see if there really is a novel inside of me. The only thing is though I kinda made a rule that I wouldn't waste my energy on regret. In many ways I feel that regret is closely aligned to failure. Not that there is anything wrong with failure as that it means at some point you must have been trying and as long as you try and keep on trying you have never failed. Or so they say.

I guess my other issue with owning regrets is that it is a bit like admitting you were wrong, or made a wrong choice. Which let's face it no one ever really wants to do.

image from here with thanks

Having said all of that though there are some things I have realised I regret and as long as I learn from those regrets then all is well that ends well. 

So what are some of my regrets?

I regret all those times I held myself back. 
I regret the too many occasions I have yelled at my children. 
I regret staying up to late when I have an early start. 
I regret ordering chilli chicken without checking just how chilli it really is. 
I regret not discovering the joys of me time sooner. 
I regret not trying (harder) at school, uni and most things that I do. The balance between laid back and giving it our all can be so hard to establish. 
I regret not discovering the joy of coffee sooner. 
I regret not starting this post sooner. 

20 comments:

  1. I'm a little like you. I don't like to dwell on regrets as I think life is too short, but we all have them. I try not to see them as failures just lapses in direction.
    I love your last one though - that happens to me so often!

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    1. Lapses in direction, I like that Jodi, thanks for such a great prompt

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  2. Great post. Regrets are hard to overcome and come to peace with.

    I agree about the chilli chicken - I've done the same thing.

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    1. Thanks Melissa, aren't they just at times. It was the first time I had felt brave enough as well. Lesson learnt there!

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  3. Love me some chilli chicken, the hotter the better, but I hear you about the yelling - I beat myself up about it as soon as I've done it! BTW did you know I'm part of the Writers Reveal group, a late comer! :) Em xx

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    1. I am so sorry lovely I thought you were but just copied the list from last month and didn't have time to investigate if you were. I have added you to the list now.

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  4. Haha at the last one! I'm like that - I get the prompt, I have a million ideas, then the night before we publish I think AAARGH, what were those ideas again?!
    YUM for super mega hot chilli chicken. x

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    1. Yep! That is exactly what it was like Emily. I am thinking you would have loved this chicken then, it was super hot!

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  5. Enjoyed the post - I agree with the yelling thing, we all do it. Sometimes I feel like I am watching myself and saying "Why are you doing that" Still we're not meant to be perfect. Never worth dwelling the kids will forgive you - or yell back! To me regrets or if onlys are all a part of the bigger picture!

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    1. I try to look at regrets the same way, they helped me become the person that I am and I like that person so how can I really regret them?

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  6. I regret that I don't currently have time to read all of you writing girls fabulous writing. What a talented group. xxx Rae

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    1. Oh Rae it is such a talented group, I feel so blessed to be a part of it. Thanks so much for dropping in

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  7. Like you, I try to live without regret now, and not let things pass me by. But there are plenty of moments from my past that I do regret, and I try to make up for things nowadays. Sometimes I feel as if I've only just started to grow up and really make the most of my little life. Onward and upward!

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    1. That is exactly right Emily, onward and upward. At the end of the day all our experiences helped us be who we are today so we can't that against them. Plus we can't change the past so dwelling is rather pointless

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  8. I agree with you on the first regret of holding back I have done this and probably still do this in my life, but perhaps it is just a part of our personality we should accept. As eventually we find our way.
    I also believe however there is not much point in having regrets, you did what you felt at the time.
    We must look forward because that is where the new story will be.

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    1. I most certainly agree with you on that front Sarah, there is little point in having regrets if you trust your decision making at the time.

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  9. I don't know if regret is always about failure, because like you said, failure means you tried. Sometimes our biggest regrets are that we never tried.
    It's a pretty deep topic really. Makes you go places you don't really want to go

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    1. Yes it really did take me to places I wasn't really ready to go. I had hoped to do a piece of fiction with a main character full of regret, but obviously that never quite happened. Always time though

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  10. Great post! I too prefer not to dwell on regret; somehow, doing so makes me feel ungrateful for the good things in my life. Still, if I had to think about it, I'd probably say that what I regret most are the chances I didn't take that could have led to great things. Oh well, what matters is that we learn from our mistakes!

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    1. Yes you are most certainly right JC as long as well learn from our mistakes that is all that matters

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