You ever just sit with yourself and think about all the things you didn’t do?
I do. More often than I’d like to admit.
There have been moments in my life when I played it safe — when I kept quiet instead of speaking up, stayed put instead of going, let someone go instead of fighting for them. And those are the ones that haunt me a little. Not in a dramatic, movie-scene kind of way. Just… a quiet ache. A "what if" that pops up on a random Tuesday.
It’s weird, because the things I have done — the bold, messy, impulsive decisions — they’re not perfect. Far from it. I’ve said the wrong thing, taken leaps that didn’t land, let my heart lead me straight into chaos. And yeah, I’ve cringed at myself plenty. But I don’t regret those moments. Not really. Because they gave me something. A lesson, a memory, a scar, a story.
At least I know I lived.
I think that’s why this quote sticks with me: “I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t.” It feels like permission. Like a reminder that it’s okay to stumble, to be a little reckless, to not have it all figured out. What’s not okay — at least not for me — is to look back and realize I never tried. That I let fear keep me in the shallow end when I wanted to dive.
So these days, I try to say yes a little more. Even when I’m scared. Even when I don’t have a five-step plan or a guarantee it’ll work out. Because life isn’t a dress rehearsal, and I don’t want mine to be made up of missed chances and safe decisions.
I’d rather make a mess than wonder what might’ve happened if I’d just gone for it.
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