[Closed] Any regrets in life ?

Well I wish I had got married and had children when I was younger.

But then again, we had the most humongous laugh when we didn't have any responsibilities so maybe not.

I am not sure - but that is possibly the only one.

I really regret not studying to become a doctor.

They always say you regret the things you havent done rather than what you have.
In my case thats a student nurse called Karen

Getting a credit card when I was 18... i'm now 29 and the leeches still have me.

Two years and I hope to never have a debt again.

Yes, its always far better to regret something you have done than to regret something that you haven't... IMO

I've had a few, but then again too few to mention. I guess you could say I did it my way. 😀

If you can look around your current situation and feel satisfied, I think it would be wrong to have regrets - because the decisions you made got you to where you are.

But if you are unhappy with your current situation, you should look to the future and plan accordingly, not regret the past but learn from it.

if you have no regrets in life you are either very lucky or you have just not experienced enough of life...we all learn from mistakes

I have a few mantras for life one is 'regret nothing', another is 'it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission' ... oddly, the GF thinks I live life like a pirate 😉

To regret implies that given the chance you'd change things and end up at a different place to where you are now. On reflection, probably not.

However, regretting things you [i]didn't[/i] do... There are a couple... 8)

Putting random white powders into my body and eating very small pices of paper with Mario on them 🙄

definitely, a couple of biggies* and the usual background 'you berk' type stuff...

c.1990 and the ramones were playing in a small club in my hometown of toronto. nobody wanted to go, didn't feel like goin' myself and figured i'd seem them another time.

never did.

what coyote ^ said.

To regret choices made implies Id have things any other way.
I love my life to bits. There's almost nothing wrong with it. There's plenty of other stuff I wish I could have done but ultimately if the cost was what I have now, then no, I wouldnt want to have done those things.

Top 5 regrets of the dying:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me
2. I wish I didn't work so hard
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier

[url= http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-Five-Regrets-of-the-Dying&id=3268063 ]Find out more here[/url]

Wot Coyote sed plus too.

Regardless of what decisions you make, you're still the same person. I don't think it's very healthy to dwell on 'what ifs', as this can make people very unhappy. You can't change the past, the present is where you are, and the future the only thing you might have any influence over.

Look forwards, not backwards, because if you look backwards all the time, you won't see that lamp post you're about to slam into...

I bottled borrowing the money to buy a cheap flat to do up about 12 years ago just before the property prices went loopy. It went back on the market at £10K more than I could have got it for and would probably have made a big differenct to my retirement if I'd kept it until then.

Yes I have some

'regret nothing', another is 'it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission'

That used to be my mantra, and to be honest it may have lead to my regret !!!

No 3 in mdb's list is the thing that led to most of my regrets.

Elaine O'Connell, Northampton University, late 90's. She was drunk and invited me back, I was sober and said no. I am a fool.

Registering on SingleTrack 😀

Yes, its always far better to regret something you have done than to regret something that you haven't... IMO

Murder. Drink driving killing someone. Forgetting to attach your parachute properly. Driving too fast in a dangerous situation.

I'm not keen on platitudes.

mdb - Member

"3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings"

Yep. Too afraid of being wrong about someone to realise I was right. All a bit cliched really but still.

Wasting £1000's on tobacco

A fantastic girl who asked if I was interested in a one night stand. I said I didn't do that kind of thing.
3 Australian women who wanted to take me back to there room for a fun night, I said I couldn't because I had to find a drunk friend who had gone missing (I did find him, never did see those 3 again).
Best female friend who announced that she had fancied me for years and that I should spend the night. I said I had to go as I had an early start the next morning.
The list goes on and on, all seem to involve women and me doing what I perceived to be the right thing at the time. My friends think I am an idiot (they may be correct).

starting smoking? maybe.

Lots.

Not committing to either athletics or Badminton when they are to only two things i've ever done well.

Not finding Mountain bikes til 2004, but it's only taken 6 years to bater myself to the point of aching every day. If i started when i was longer i'd be in a god awful state now.

Inviting those girls back for a free some, good times but resulted in me marrying one of them(the beginning of the end that was)

Went straight into a building apprenticeship the moment i left school, the company up the road took me straight on, the interview was arranged by my parents, i don't really recall expressing a big interest in being a builder.

Should've joined the Army and got the hell out sooner.

Louise Barton, the sexiest girl in the town, she asked me out various times, but when i snogged her, didn't like the way she kissed so didn't further my chances.

Trying a job as a door to door salemans in Bristol, lost a good friend when i just randomly up'd and left her.

Not going travelling after i got a good tax rebate in 94, instead bought an orange C-16r, put slicks on it and used it as a road bike.

They say you should never regret the things you did or did not do. You've become the person you are through all your past experiences..

Well i'm not to great with the person i became and of my past failings so regret not leading a different life back then as it would've made me a better person.

I wasted my twenties, shitty jobs, lots of boozing and drugs. although I had a good time for the most of it, I came out of it very skint, with massive debts, and nothing to show for it.

1. Starting smoking. 18 years and it's still a harsh thing to kick.
2. wish I'd met my wife earlier in life.
3. At times I regret not being a complete b'stard and doing my own thing when I want to with not thought for others... But that thought passes quickly when I realise that it's cold and wet outside and the bike ride/kayak trip/shooting session I had planned was probably not a good idea anyway (even if it was).

Maybe I am a pushover...

As others have said - I don't regret anything I've done and rarely regret things I didn't apart from ...

I do slightly regret not pushing my wife to go travelling when we'd sold one house, were looking for another, had enough cash to live on the interest, both had jobs we didn't like, daughter was young ... all the stars aligned and pointed to buggering off for a year or so.

She agrees now we should have grasped that moment - I was (am ?) too nice to push her at the time.

Drinking the water that was on the table in a cafe in Katmandu about 15 years ago. Jetlagged and just not thinking straight - I'd not touched tap water in months. 24 hours later the Giadia hit and I had a couple of days hallucinating alone in a room while my body evacuated from both ends then a much harder time trekking than I needed to have.

A cool dude, more like idiot, I was to reject a very nice looking bird's invitation when I was at Uni ... I wish I could travel back in time to give the younger me a good kicking for being such a fool. Cool dude? Idiot more like. Foooool!

Apart from that no regret for living a hard life ...

👿

Not having more fun between the years 1990 & 1996 (meeting my wife to be & then marrying her).
Not getting a gap year in before I became too old.

Rendee in Phoenix.

She's why I'm a Steelers fan.

not really

I regret not buying a loaf of bread on the way home last night, mouldy sandwiches today 🙁

Could have chipped in with my mates & bought a ski flat in St Jean D'Aulps in the late 90's for £12k, but didn't.
Bought 2 campers & never used them,

Being quite nasty to my ex after leaving her for someone else, wish I could have a word with myself back then...

The new girl did leave me for a 'mate' several years later so I suppose I got my comeuppance.

I should've stayed at uni.
I should've tried a few more.
I should've thought about the future when I met Mrs Hairychested.
I should've kept my bikes instead of selling them.
I should've joined Police instead of going on a 2-week trip that lasted 13 yrs.
I should've told my grandad he was a so-and-so before he died.
I should've gone back home when my Gran was dieing and tell her I loved her.
I should've punched a fair few people instead of being angry.

As they say, I mostly regret not doing things (or people) rather than doing them.

I regret not having the courage to speak openly to a girl a few years back..,

I regret being so emotionally retarded (expression not borrowed from the break-up thread, it's something I've realised about my past) that I didn't have the courage to leave my last relationship earlier. It's difficult admitting uncomfortable truths to yourself sometimes and taking your life out of cruise control.

Hoewver I'm still young and have lots of time to make things up to myself 🙂

Some days - whole patterns of my life but in my saner moment I realise that we're a product of both our nature (genetics) and our nurture (upbringing), so could / would I do things differently = probably not.

Mostly being miserable at times when I should have been having a larf and oh yes...
the drunken rendition of "The Wild Rover" in that pub in San Antonio
and the wild depressed bender after SA beat England in the 1999 RFU World Cup.

Probably not persuing cycling a bit more and drinking too much. I was good as a Junior but enjoyed going out too much to be too dedicated despite numerous people trying to encourage otherwise. Hey maybe it's not a regret as would I enjoy it as much as I do now?

Not having the courage to say how how I felt about someone, her moving on, then me not believing her when she said she wanted to make a go of it....

Then again I may not have gotten into cycling / surfing as much, every cloud eh. 😀

Too many regrets too mention and I would LOVE to be able to turn the clock back as my instincts were (almost always) right at the time and I should have followed them instead of 'doing the right thing'.

But life goes on and who really [b]needs[/b] lots of money anyway 😉

But life goes on and who really needs lots of money anyway

After rejoining the rat-race six years ago, I too am wondering that...

(although I do have a nice bike now)

Not buying that complete kart outfit and going racing.

Not having more kids (nothing else in my life matters but my beautiful girls).

Not becoming a plumber and being my own boss / own business - became a lawyer instead (eventually) and hate it.....but I am working on changing that....I have finally managed to stop regretting and now look forward to what CAN be not what wasnt to be.

killing that hooker in the quarry

Not being able to pick my parents.

Yep and if I could have my life all over again, I would live it very differently. I know one shouldn't look back but I do and feel I've made a right mess of it. 🙁

I regret having ever smoked

oh and numerous women I could have had some fun with if only I'd had the balls to dump the one I was with at the time rather than wait for them to do it.

I know one shouldn't look back but I do and feel I've made a right mess of it.

Edit: That sounds really naff and soundbitey but hopefully you know what I mean 😉

Woody - no sense of direction I'm afraid! Coupled with being a weak person and having huge self-esteem issues all my life.

Funny thing is, and this could be me wearing my middle-aged hat, I feel more comfortable with myself now. Womens logic innit? 🙄

One biggie springs to mind: Missing out on Sarah from HR. She gave me a lift home after a work's night out only to find the wife was there (we were seperated at the time). That would've been a good night.

That strikes a chord CG in some ways and I still don't feel I've really got any direction. I'm way too old and have no desire to progress along any career path as I'm happy doing what I do and would hate to be stuck in an office again.

I do regret two things - not going straight to uni after school (it's much harder when you are older but still easier than I thought) and leaving a good job with an oil company to chase big bucks as a ship/oil rig broker just before the oil price crashed - timing has never been my strong point 😆

Stupidly not taking up an invite from the delightful Lindsay L to accompany her to a Uni ball - this was the 3rd year and I'd secretly fancied her since the 1st year.

Not doing as well as I should have done in my A Levels - though a significant part of that was due to appalling teaching. A Levels seem to set the course for which uni, which course and possibly your first couple of job opportunities.

Actually must stop thinking about regrets otherwise I will get depressed about what could have been.

I regret... quite a lot. I never used to, thought that life wasn't about regrets. But in reality it just doesn't work out like that.

There are a couple of things I wished I had done, a couple I wish I had done much sooner and a couple that I wish I had never done. I think that everyone is much the same though, and really there is no point in dwelling on the regrets as you can't go back and change things.

Since we can only influence the future that is the part of life worth concentrating on. Even if we sometimes have to deal with emotions of the past in order to move on and put the past right where it belongs.

What could have been... what would have been... pretty meaningless... what can be and will be are far more worthwhile to think about.

regrets

I've had a few

but then again, too few to mention

sorry, someone had to say it 😉

2 really.
not trying for kids when we were young enough, but the choice was bringing them up in a shitty area.

and an ex. There's always that one, isn't there? but it would probably have ended in tears, it already had, a few times, with her...

I regret the hurt I caused to so many people through drug abuse.
I regret that I had such poor control of my temper which led to someone getting very badly hurt.
I regret being so wrapped up in my own little world that the one person who needed me at that time was left without support and killed themselves

I regret pretending to believe in god for ages

That's all

South African model, Kitzbuhel, 2003. There's still a photo somewhere I can't bring myself to get rid of.

not working harder at school - I was bright but lazy. I feel sorry for my parents seeing the potential there but watching me chuck it away.

not being a better friend.

That said, I'm happy now, and have ended up here due to all the other screw ups, and in balance life is pretty ace.

🙂

Not doing as well as I should have done in my A Levels - though a significant part of that was due to appalling teaching. A Levels seem to set the course for which uni, which course and possibly your first couple of job opportunities

But then you would never have net the lovely Lindsay L

Smoking, should never have taken that up

Debt, namely credit cards

Putting weight on

Letting depression take hold to the point where i've lost my sense of humour and constantly appear to be sarcastic, bitter, quick to judge, negative etc etc (wish i could get that under control)

I should have told her how i felt and not let her go

Letting my lack of confidence hold me back from ever doing anything

.......christ, finding an upside has never been harder

CG - if you're not suziblue from another forum, well, ... you should be - your stories are remakably similar. Isn't there some way you can look back and just say, "Oh well" 🙂

It's not surprising that most of the posts here involve either not sleeping with those pesky bi-sexual Swedish triplets, being unable to hold onto THE-ONE, or not not leaving the person who you thought was THE-ONE whilst THE-ONE got away. It's the human condition.

Tazzy - you had a diseased mind - foggedaboudit. Wait, fohgetaboutit, whatever - you weren't yersel'.

For those still in the midst of it, please remember to think positive - not a platitude - a real way of dealing with the bad ol' crap that can and will mess with yer mind.

My unceasing and ongoing regrets would fill teh internets but I know I'll be walking my dog on a windswept beach tomorrow, so I can handle them 😀

My regrets - that I didn't play rugby more seriously.

Yes, I regret giving up rugby. All because the dentist said I needed a gumshield. 15 year olds can be such twerps.

Capt.Kronos - good post there.

tazzy - you've turned your life around, it must have been extremely tough for you so keep looking forward. Stay positive. 🙂

user-removed - no, this is the only Forum I frequent rather too, er, frequently! The past doesn't get me down, just feel at times it's sitting on my shoulder.

As many of the above, there have been a few times where I have taken the moral high grounds and missed out on dead certs.
Helen certainly is worth a mention -sigh-

Otherwise no really big regrets, life's too short innit?

Really regret not trying harder - be it school / college / sport / the guitar.

But then things have turned out okay, I have my health.

At the time i regretted getting my then girlfriend now wife pregnant at Uni in '94.........soon realised it was the best thing I've ever done. We're both still under 40, daughters are now 18 and 16, good fun watching same aged mates running round the beer garden/campsite after their toddlers as me and the mrs sit down and have a good chat and laught with our daughters (who also go the bar for us!)

No real regrets, I guess I'm lucky (or very unsensitive and thick skinned!)
.

Just the one major regret.

But there's nowt I can do about it now.

I wish I'd asked out the pretty, fit, mountain-biking, fun Kiwi girl out instead of deciding that North London was too far to pursue anything. Tw*t.

Alot and being born.....

Not fitting the finger protector in the conservatory door, that ended up with my son having his finger tip stitched back on today. Mrs Donkey did warn me!

I regret marrying someone before we really understood how different our 'Principles' were.
I don't regret the fact I have lovely kids from that marriage
but do regret not having kids with someone I can respect.

I recently traced my life backwards via all my major events and decisions, and came to the the realisation that there were three distinct turning points in my life (or more specifically 'forks') where I unusually had a clear choice of two paths. Both paths at each junction would lead me off to a different 'life'.

Now in my 40th year, I'm *fairly* sure I chose unwisely at all three junctions.

There are probably billions of other decisions I ever made, but those three whoppers really ****ed me over.

Still. Live 'n' learn, eh?

Regret turning down my dream job in the RAF for a girl.

Regret losing 'the one'

Shoulda, coulda, woulda the last words of a fool 🙁

My biggest regret? Well not really a regret 'cos I had fun doing it, but joining the TA at 24 rather than working on the bike..

"I coulda been a contender.." (In my dreams!)