Tuesday, March 8, 2005
Early regrets
Regret would be a wonderful thing if it came earlier. If you
could feel the bitter sting of regret before making the
choices that would cause that regret, you'd be powerfully
persuaded to make better choices.
The biggest regrets usually result from missed
opportunities. Feeling those particular regrets early would
encourage you to make the most of your possibilities.
Yet in the real world, regret is experienced only after it's
too late to avoid. Even so, there is something you can do to
make regret a positive and powerful influence in your
life.
You can use your mind to imagine regret in advance. By doing
so, you can benefit from regret's lessons without suffering
from its pain.
Before taking action, or before passing up an opportunity,
travel in your mind into the future. Find the choice that
would cause no regret, and then make that choice.
By imagining your regrets far enough in advance, you can
avoid them completely. And that's a strategy you'll never
regret.
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