by Bellewriter

Created on: May 28, 2008

I think that regrets are the lessons that we have learned in our lives that help formulate our experiences. Is it logical to ask a baby to walk without falling? The answer is " No" because expecting a baby to do something in which he or she has no experience comes with the understanding that falling is a part of the process. A baby must fall a few times to understand balance. Is it logical to ask a child learning to ride a bike not to ever fall off? Again the answer is "No" because this bike is a tool used to understand balance and ability. When a child is learning how to ride a bike, falling is the physical lesson learned in the act of balance. Is it logical to live without ANY regrets? That does not seem logical. Part of learning how to balance your life is learning the good experiences from the bad. Regret is the impulse that drives us to not repetitively make the same mistakes. In my life I have a boat load of mistakes and regretful outcomes but I do not regret having those experiences. I have a life and experiences now that I look back on the things that I cannot take back. Sure I wish I had not done so many things now but if I had no regrets in life I think empathy is the cost that I would have paid. Regret is a negative sounding word but in reality it is the opportunity to gain later gratification. I believe that a life without empathy towards others is a much more negative experience than a life filled without regrets.

When I was in the eighth grade I joined the junior high basketball girl's basketball team. I was the only player to not score one point the whole season. I was humiliated even though our team won the state championship. I regretted not making any points but I enjoyed the sportsmanship and good times we had as a team. Suffice it to say I did not play basketball in the future and I do regret that decision because I see now the level of satisfaction I could have received by pressing forward and really shaping my skills. I learned one thing from that experience. I was not a basketball player. I look back now and it doesn't bother me. I regretted joining that team for years after that experience but now I appreciate the lesson I learned from that failure. I learned that I was a runner. I ran track for the next four years in high school. If I had not completely made a disaster in basketball I would not have realized my potential as a runner. If you ask me today if I regret joining the basketball team my answer would be "No". If you asked if I could take back that season or that moment in time, my answer would be "No". I say this because I learned a valuable life lesson from my basketball failure. I learned that there were other things in life that I could accomplish with success. The next time you are feeling bad about something that you regret, think about the things you can do and concentrate on that.

There is a saying that says that experience is the best teacher. Well I completely agree with that because it is through our not so great moments that we realize the successes in ourselves. The question is "Is it possible to live life without regrets?" My answer is "No". A life with out regrets is not living at all.

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