Lakes have always had a cleansing effect on me. The sight clears my mind, the fresh breeze off the waters edge clears my senses, and the cool water refreshes my spirit, giving me a pond to reflect in. As I attempt to cleanse myself today, I reflect on the idea of regret. I would be lying if I said I never regretted anything, but as I sit here today I can humbly say that I have no regrets. Not because I have done no wrong, but because I have always been able to forgive myself and learn to be better. For me regret is nothing more than the dirty residue of guilt built up on the gears that have turned out every decision that I have ever made. The cool breeze and the sound of the ripples on a lakes surface have always seemed to clear away this residue, allowing me to reflect on the guilt of past transgression, and more importantly, allowing me to forgive myself, resolving my guilt into a lesson learned. Regret after all, seems to be nothing more than a guilt left over from decisions with unfavorable consequences; guilt from having made mistakes. However, it has always been said that great men learn more from their mistakes and failures than their successes. So if regrets are nothing more than a guilt left over from past mistakes, why can we not turn each regret into a lesson learned and an apology to one’s self. How else can we become great? How else can we learn and grow from those mistakes we wish not to repeat? My answer is simple; live your life, own your mistakes, and be prepared to forgive yourself for making the mistakes that will inevitably help you to become the person you wish to be. Signing off I leave your with this, regret nothing, and learn from everything. Every lesson is a strand in the tapestry that will act as your shield from the cold idea of becoming something other than yourself. Don’t be a blank tapestry. Make your own mistakes so that someday you will have your own story to tell, and so that your only regret will be not having made more mistakes.
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