The Challenge: Write down your biggest regret. Now, burn it.
So, here’s the funny thing about Day 1: I don’t really believe in regret. I created this list, and I decided to put this challenge at the top, so it would seem I have some big regret to unload, but I don’t. I swear.
Yes, if I could do things over, I would make some different decisions, but I believe all of my mistakes have allowed me to grow and become a better person, so I don’t regret any of them.
Since I strive to live a life without regret, it was really difficult to come up with one for this challenge, but after much thought and self-honesty, I settled on a good one. I won’t discuss it here because the point of this challenge is not to perpetuate the feeling of regret by sharing it, but to let got of it forever. So I wrote it down on some pretty blue paper and torched it.
Honestly, I didn’t feel a huge change right away. Maybe because I was so focused on taking a photo of my burning regret without burning down my apartment. But, now, a few hours later, when I remember that pile of ashes, I feel peaceful, lighter, good.
How about you?
Tomorrow’s challenge: Avoid the news.
Untitled Adventure 
I love it, Ang. So true…everything we’ve been through made us who we now are. Without challenges or mistakes along our journey, life would be pretty damn boring, and we wouldn’t be able to appreciate the triumphs and lessons nearly as much. Great kick-off. You know I love tomorrow’s challenge. 😉
Hey Angela! I really like the pic of the ashes…just thought I’d mention it. 🙂 The only bad thing about regret is holding on to the guilt. But the lessons and the strength learned through each regret is what we need to strive to remember. Not the guilt.
Excited for the next 29 days!! 🙂
Amen to that! (And thanks!) =)
Great post with mature forward looking direction building on life’s experiences. Regret can take on the disguise of old sorrow and feeling that is buried deep within. It can surface unexpectedly and be felt throughout the body and spirit until it is allowed to voice itself and go freely on its way, leaving one better placed to move forward in life. Not sure if one can ever be completely free of the old “stuff” that formed us into who we are today. But understanding how that old “stuff” has impacted our growth, and being conscious of how old patterns that once served our need no longer serve us today is huge. The symbolic burn is most appropriate for moving on without being held back by rusting anchors. Thanks for challenge one.
Thank you for sharing this perspective! I’m glad you found the challenge valuable. Now let’s hope Day 2 is easier for you than it was for me.
I wished I could say I had no regrets. I have a few, but you can’t change them, so the key is not to dwell on them, and learn to accept them as part of your story. I wrote one down, and tried to burn it. I was more afraid of burning down the house, then actually fulfilling the task at hand. I tore it into a hundred pieces. The physical act of destroying it was somewhat freeing.
I know if I went back, I wouldn’t do anything different, (I wished I had then), because my feelings were what they were and caused me to make most of the decisions in my life. I think James Blunt said it best, “Give me reason, but don’t give me choice, cause I’d just make the same mistake again.”
I love that quote! Hadn’t heard it before. And I know what you mean about being distracted by the act of burning the paper. Ripping it up is just as good.
“Regrets are just mistakes you don’t learn from.” I got that deep quote from an eliminated contestant on America’s Next Top Model, hahaha, but I still kinda like it!! 🙂