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Growing Through Regret: A Journey of Self-Discovery

How Our Mistakes Shape Our Growth and Identity

Zidor
3 min readOct 11, 2023
Photo by johnhain on Pixabay

We all have moments where we look back and think, “Why did I do that?” That feeling is known as regret. While it can be a tough pill to swallow, it’s crucial to recognize that regret has a silver lining. Just as athletes learn from their mistakes to improve in their sport, we can use regret as a coach to guide us through the game of life.

How Regret Helps Us Grow

I was surprised to read that a whopping 76% of people believe that their regrets were instrumental in making positive changes in their lives. Why would this be? Well, it boils down to understanding and acknowledging where we slipped. Without recognizing our mistakes, we’d likely repeat them. If you think about the biggest lessons you’ve learned, many probably arose from situations you wish you could change.

Furthermore, that uneasy feeling regret brings? It’s actually doing us a favor. The anxiety ensures we don’t forget those mistakes, much like a teacher emphasizing a point so students won’t forget. It keeps nudging us, saying, “Remember this so you don’t do it again.” This consistent reminder pushes us to reflect and grow.

Learning from Our Mistakes

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Zidor
Zidor

Written by Zidor

I am a student of life — devoted to "Discovery" -- observing and uncovering truths all around us - and offering that learning to those who wish to listen.

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