Today I was randomly scrolling Google to find a picture, (a work-related picture) and because Google can be weird and bring up unrelated pictures, suddenly I came across a very interesting quote; "Never regret anything, because at some point you wanted it."

At first, I didn't understand what that meant, but then I thought of some things I regret doing in life, and what the quote said just pieced together.

So now, I'll kindly tell you to grab your cup of coffee, sit back, relax, and let me explain to you why we humans feel regret, and try to help you understand regret on a deeper level.

We're imperfect... You should know this by now since you've gotten this far into the book! Sometimes we do things we wish we didn't do in life, because of some mistakes made, or realizations we know now after going through a certain situation.

First and foremost, regret is a negative cognitive/emotional state that involves blaming ourselves for a bad outcome, feeling a sense of loss or sorrow at what might have been, or wishing we could undo a previous choice that we made.

So, is this something beneficial to us?

Some may say yes because it means we have learned something, and that regret is a key part of living life. Others may say that it's useless, and doesn't help you get over anything, or let yourself truly move on. Whether you think regret is a good thing or not, it's still considered a negative emotion and is a feeling we've all had at least once. Personally, I don't believe this is such a great emotion to have constantly running in your system, but I do think if treated in a healthy way, it can help us grow from our mistakes. 

There will always be some things I wish I didn't do as a kid, or even what I did two hours ago, but life goes on, and you learn to just laugh about it (especially if you were a kid.)

Some studies show that over short time periods, people are more likely to regret actions taken and mistakes made. Whereas over long time periods, they are more likely to regret actions not taken, such as missed opportunities for love, working too hard, and not spending enough time with family.

A person can regret not talking to their crush, taking that last bite of cake, killing him, leaving him, all the way to not doing their best in school. It can be anything!

The bottom line is, that you can't change what happened in the past, though it's nice to learn from what you did at an earlier age in order to not do it again. Life is all about learning! Though in some cases, even when someone tells you advice, for it to take full effect and make an impact on the other person, the action needs to be done to them as well.

"Boys will break your heart, little sis. Don't get involved with them!"

As the younger sibling, (but not too young), I'm sure she knows that boys (or anyone for that matter) can break a girl's heart, but until you've actually had your heart broken, I'm not sure if you could ever truly relate or understand the pain.

This doesn't mean go try it! (Don't know how you'd do that...) But what I'm saying is some regrets are harder to relate to than others, and these little "I wish I didn't..." moments are all a part of growing up. Whether you're 12 or 45, you're still learning.

Shout out to anyone who's done with school and is over 21! Sorry, but you never stop making mistakes and learning, even after you graduate... Yep... Let that sink in..... Do you now regret being mean to all those teenagers for making "silly" mistakes? I'm sure you made quite a few yourself at that age too and you aren't done yet!

Yep... you've been exposed! BOOM!

To stop feeling regret for something is to accept. Accept, Learn, and move on. Don't dwell. That's what regret feeds off of.

So, let's do a little recap, shall we!?

Regret is a negative emotion caused when a person feels guilty or wishes they didn't do something in their past. Technically, this isn't a positive emotion and it can lead to depression, sorrow, and a lifelong longing wish for a time machine.

Well, hate to burst your bubble, but time keeps moving forward, and life goes on. Don't be so busy regretting your past when your future is still being written straight ahead. Get this, you could regret doing something because you were too busy regretting something else (yes, this makes perfect sense!)

"I was so busy regretting my break up with Jane, that I didn't realize I had feelings for Lucy. Now Lucy's getting married, and I regret not talking to her when I had the chance. What's wrong with me?"

^^ That's what I mean.

Live in the now, and move on from these regrets that are building up inside you. Learn from it and keep going. Don't let them eat you alive! You're better than that :)

Remember, "Never regret anything, because at some point you wanted it."

We are the ones who choose what happens to us 99% of the time.

You wanted to attempt a trick on a skateboard, and now you've got a broken leg. You chose to slack off in school, and now you aren't accepted to any colleges and have no plans for your future. 

You wanted it at some point, so I guess it's on you. (Which sounds harsh...sorry!) Some of these choices may cost you a few months of recovery, some may make it a struggle to get back on track. Some may just teach you a little lesson. (Like to always make sure to lock the school bathroom stalls before you do your business! You only make that mistake once! Ehehe....)

I must say, sometimes it's nice to say, "Hey, that was kinda silly, and I shouldn't have done that." But don't let it consume you to the point where you're stressing over it.

So, he left you broken, and confused, and you wish you never met him? So, you wish you didn't go to bed so late, and now you're tired? Now you really wish you apologized to your dad after he died? Well.... you didn't. And I'm sorry but this does happen to everyone. That doesn't mean there's no hope, though!

It may be difficult for most, but it's okay. The world will still spin, the sun will still shine, and the days will never stop. You can lift yourself from this feeling. Dust yourself off, wipe those tears, throw that chocolate box away,

And don't let the feeling of regret define you. There's always another chance waiting for you. Don't regret today, when there's a whole new opportunity for change tomorrow!

Regret, you're no match for me!

Thank you all so much for reading! My sincere gratitude to everyone who has stuck by me, and this book! My goal is to help people the best I can in a lighthearted way. Honestly, writing these is a lot of fun for me!

I hope you didn't regret reading this article, and I'll see you in the next update! :D

PS: I still take requests, and answer questions. Just look no further than the comment section to find me! 

Mickey's outta here!

*Drops mic*