Living A Life Without Regret
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_column_text]
I was prompted the question this morning: “what’s one regret you have from your younger years that still haunts you?” Woah, that’s a deep dive, let my morning coffee at least kick in before answering that one. My mind started a youthful back tripping journey in various emotions and visual flashback directions.
Grade school, that feeling of winning the 4th grade spelling bee. Kindergarten, why I loved those orange and pink striped leggings? The joy of chasing frogs in the backyard. The curled bangs and overalls in middle school. Friendship choices, sports team connections, hitting the winning grand slam, getting caught being drunk for my first time. College, could have studied more and gotten more out of my education. I partied. A LOT. Still managed an almost perfect GPA. Job choices, post-college destruction and decisions…up until present day.
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="transparent" thickness="20"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="center" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index=""][vc_column][vc_single_image image="26597" img_size="full" qode_css_animation=""][vc_column_text]
Guess I always sat weird like a monkey.
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="transparent" thickness="20"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_separator type="normal" color="#c9c9c9" thickness="1" up="20" down="20"][vc_column_text]
Back to the present moment, running on the treadmill. It’s a pouring rain morning here in Los Angeles, otherwise would be outside in nature. But, for the lack of desire to swim my way through the morning exercise routine, a treadmill it was.
While I’m not someone to believe much in regrets, the question did have me thinking: each choice in my life had a lasting effect on what happened after. Had I stuck with ballet over softball, how would that have impacted my physicality in life? Had I not traveled as much as a child, would I be less worldly and adventurous? Had I not clung to an eating disorder at the age of 14 and had better support systems around me to manage the emotions I was experiencing, how that would have felt in high school? Had I chosen New York over Boston for undergrad, would I have found yoga and learned to heal my disconnect mind and body in the years to come? Had I put away that last box in my North End apartment when I moved, would I have tripped and broke my pinky toe on it after a night of debauchery? Do I wish I didn’t over pluck my eyebrows in Sophomore year of high school? Completed a second double minor in Spanish in college instead of just one in graphic design?
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="transparent" thickness="20"][vc_column_text]
Maybe. Or, quizás.
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="transparent" thickness="20"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="center" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index=""][vc_column][vc_column_text]
View this post on Instagram
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="transparent" thickness="20"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_separator type="normal" color="#c9c9c9" thickness="1" up="20" down="20"][vc_column_text]
Instead of knowing what the answers WOULD have been, there’s honestly no way of astutely knowing. Do I regret not doing MORE of something in my younger years? Sure. But, there’s always a calling to have wanted more of something. What would have changed all that — the path and trajectory I am on today.
Today, I am grateful — not regretful — for all those interesting and challenging decisions I made prior in my life. Had I not made those, I wouldn’t be where I am today on this path that I am incredibly grateful for and in love with. The nights of drunken demeanor, I had fun on most nights. The eating disorder, I learned a lot of lessons about my mind’s power, body’s strength and how I function best. Yoga helped heal me, my heart led me location to location. I still learned Spanish fluently and my eyebrows grew back beautifully. So well, in fact, it’s one thing every make-up artist has complimented me on before heading to set, what beautiful eyebrows I have.
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="transparent" thickness="20"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="center" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index=""][vc_column][vc_single_image image="26599" img_size="full" qode_css_animation=""][vc_column_text]
In the handprints of Tom Cruise, Hollywood destiny.
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="transparent" thickness="20"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_separator type="normal" color="#c9c9c9" thickness="1" up="20" down="20"][vc_column_text]
The cancer, live life to it’s fullest with no regrets, never settling. LEAP! Vivaciously. Allow fear to be a motivator, not a hindrance. Fear means you’re on to something great, and huge, that is pushing you out of your comfort zone. Lean into it, it’s going to be worth it.
Why? Because I’d rather live a life of “I don’t regret doing….” than a life of “I wish I tried…”
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="transparent" thickness="20"][vc_column_text]
You either WIN or you learn. There’s zero in between for me.
[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="normal" color="#c9c9c9" thickness="1" up="20" down="20"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="center" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index=""][vc_column][vc_single_image image="26598" img_size="full" qode_css_animation=""][/vc_column][/vc_row]