10 Choices You Will Regret in 10 Years
“If only…” These two words paired together create
one of the saddest phrases in the English language.
Here are ten choices that
ultimately lead to this phrase of regret, and how to elude them:
1. Wearing a mask to impress
others. – If the
face you always show the world is a mask, someday there will be nothing beneath
it. Because when you spend too much time concentrating on everyone else’s
perception of you, or who everyone else wants you to be, you eventually forget
who you really are. So don’t fear the judgments of others; you know in
your heart who you are and what’s true to you. You don’t have to be
perfect to impress and
inspire people. Let them be impressed and inspired by how you deal with
your imperfections.
2. Letting someone else create
your dreams for you. – The greatest challenge in life is discovering
who you are; the second greatest is being happy with what you find. A big
part of this is your decision to stay true to your own goals and
dreams. Do you have people who disagree with you? Good. It
means you’re standing your ground and walking your own path. Sometimes
you’ll do things considered crazy by others, but when you catch yourself
excitedly losing track of time, that’s when you’ll know you’re doing the right
thing.
3. Keeping negative company. – Don’t let someone who
has a bad attitude give it to you. Don’t let them get to you. They
can’t pull the trigger if you don’t hand them the gun. When you remember
that keeping the company of negative people is a choice, instead of an
obligation, you free yourself to keep the company of compassion instead of
anger, generosity instead of greed, and patience instead of anxiety.
4. Being selfish and egotistical. – A life filled with
loving deeds and good character is the best tombstone. Those who you
inspired and shared your love with will remember how you made them feel long
after your time has expired. So carve your name on hearts, not
stone. What you have done for yourself alone dies with you; what you have
done for others and the world remains.
5. Avoiding change and growth. – If you want to know
your past look into your present conditions. If you want to know your
future look into your present actions. You must let go of the old to make
way for the new; the old way is gone, never to come back. If you
acknowledge this right now and take steps to address it, you will position
yourself for lasting success.
6. Giving up when the going gets
tough. – There are
no failures, just results. Even if things don’t unfold the way you had
expected, don’t be disheartened or give up. Learn what you can and move
on. The one who continues to advance one step at a time will win in the
end. Because the battle is always won far away and long before the final
victory. It’s a process that occurs with small steps, decisions, and
actions that gradually build upon each other and eventually lead to that
glorious moment of triumph.
7. Trying to micromanage every
little thing. – Life should be touched, not strangled. Sometimes you’ve got
to relax and let life happen without incessant worry and micromanagement.
Learn to let go a little before you squeeze too tight. Take a deep
breath. When the dust settles and you can once again see the forest for
the trees, take the next step forward. You don’t have to know exactly
where you’re going to be headed somewhere great. Everything in life is in
perfect order whether you understand it yet or not. It just takes some
time to connect all the dots.
8.
Settling for less than you deserve. – Be strong enough to
let go and wise enough to wait for what you deserve. Sometimes you have
to get knocked down lower than you have ever been to stand up taller than you
ever were before. Sometimes your eyes need to be washed by your tears so
you can see the possibilities in front of you with a clearer vision
again. Don’t settle.
9. Endlessly waiting until
tomorrow. – The trouble is, you always think you have more time than you do.
But one day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to work on the
things you’ve always wanted to do. And at that point you either will have
achieved the goals you set for yourself, or you will have a list of excuses for
why you haven’t.
10. Being lazy and wishy-washy. – The world doesn’t owe
you anything, you owe the world something. So stop daydreaming and start
DOING. Develop a backbone, not a wishbone. Take full responsibility
for your life – take control. You are important and you are needed.
It’s too late to sit around and wait for somebody to do something
someday. Someday is now; the somebody the world needs is YOU.
