Are YOU creating more regrets than good memories?

According to Webster's Dictionary. Regret; to feel sad or sorry about (something that you did or did not do) : to have regrets about (something)

Regret...It hit me like a ton of bricks. After more than 18 years and nearly 2 million flying miles, I realized a theme that comes up far too often from the unlucky passengers seated next to me; Regret.

As it often does during flights, the topics vary and change a lot…the range include some of the following and countless more I’m not even going to approach… weather, delays, troubles with their jobs, winning the lottery, not winning the lottery, losing weight, their favorite team, exercise, hemorrhoids (not mine), kids, spouses, college, places traveled, pets, joining a gym, baldness, hair styles, uncomfortable shoes, uncomfortable seats, uncomfortable pants (this list is endless) retirement, vacations, money/finances, cars, homes, celebrities (not the Kardashian’s, that’s where I draw the line)

As you might guess, over 18 years, I have had several thousand chats of varying lengths and depths and certainly different levels of enjoyment…but that one subject  that comes up far too often, again is regret.

Inevitably, if you’re sitting next to me, the topic of college and college football will come up (yes, I bring it up 99% of the time) I’ll ask where they went to school, and they’ll answer with this college or this university and nearly 100% of the time I’ll reply with, I’ve been there in XYZ city and the mascot is ABC and so on. I do fashion myself a bit of a college fan (geek) and a college football fanatic.

If the conversation is still about college, it’s not too long before I bring up my beloved UCF Knights, which is where I played football and graduated. I’ll bring up the fact that I’m an extremely lucky man for being involved with this great sport and university for so many years. I would call it a passion and a hobby. The conversations will often go along these lines…they might say things like, the trouble with college athletics is (then I set then straight) college athletes are pampered brats and (then I set them straight) college coaches make too much money (then I agree) college athletes should be paid (then I set them straight) I think you get my point…but somewhere during the chat, I’ll mention the fact that through playing football, I have had no less than, 33 broken bones, (legs, knees, ribs, neck, back, thumb, eye socket, nose, collar bone, etc) 14 total surgeries, countless trips to the hospital, long hospital stays, months on crutches, endless rehab sessions, missed games, missed classes, arthritis, and more, but through it all, I’m extremely lucky and would not trade it for the anything in the world. Of course, if I could choose to not get so injured, I would take that, but not at the expense of not playing at all. This often surprises the unlucky passenger.

They ask me why or how could I feel that way after all those bad things happened…at this point in the conversation, I’m usually fairly calm and reserved, but this subject really gets to me. I speak very passionately about all the wonderful things I received from playing football, such as discipline, dedication, team work, passion, the incredible feeling of working with 100+ young men and coaches towards a common goal, the life-long friendships made, the list for me is truly unlimited. (I’m still best friends with Chris Forgy from Centerville, Ohio. We both played running back on the first of many undefeated seasons – we were the Best Man in each other’s weddings.

So, how does this relate to regret? After I make my “how lucky I am speech”, it is usually followed with stories from the passengers like…well, I played baseball in little league but stopped, I used to play Pop Warner football, but gave it up for a reason they cannot remember, I used to cheer, but it was all political in high school, so I didn’t even try-out. To this day, I have never met anyone who ever said to me “I sure wish I didn’t play baseball in high school” or “I wish I didn’t learn to play piano in 8th grade” or “I wish I didn’t run track in college” or “I wish I didn’t join a fraternity/sorority”…I have only heard “I wish I wouId have done X or Y". Just think back for a moment...while you may not have been able to do or change everything about past regrets, just think of what you COULD have done about something you regret. More often than not, you wish you could or should have done some things differently.

So, what can they/or you do about regrets? A lot more than you think! Can you go back and play high school basketball? No. Can you go back and run for class president? No. Can you go back and ask that girl or guy for a date? No.

So, what can you do? You can stop creating regrets. All of those things in your past are indeed in your past. But everything from this second forward is in the present and future. What an incredibly empowering thought. Every single thing from now forward is in front of you/me/us. I can STOP making my own future regrets. It has been my experience that while certainly not all regrets are avoidable, many, many are.

Don't get me wrong, I certainly have regrets, but not a lot...I read a saying once in 8th grade and it has always stuck with me: WHAT I HAD I GAVE, WHAT I KEPT IS LOST FOREVER...think about that for a moment....that's deep!

TODAY-DO…don’t think-DO…don’t mull-DO…don’t wish-DO…Call your mom and dad…really hug your kids… play with your pet, smile more at work, give more money, exercise, eat better, read more, go to that play, wake up a little earlier, call/email/texts friends just to say hello…start that project…stop that bad habit or at least address it…DO…DO…DO…

I hope you don’t regret reading this…