What would you change in your past & why?

Anesthetize

I'm not going to say something along the lines of "I regret nothing". There's plenty of decisions I made in the past that I would definitely change.

I would definitely go back to summer 2011 and avoid a falling-out I had with the friends I made from college. The peak of my social life was 2005-2011, roughly my college years and a couple of years after. But following that, it just wasn't the same.

I genuinely believe that my life over the past 9 years would have been better had I not been a gob****e that summer.

scrips

I have regret over the fact that I didn't stand up for myself enough when I was being bullied by my manager. It went on for years and it impacted on my mental health, my family and my career prospects. Eventually my manager got promoted and was no longer my manager, but I feel I will never get closure on that soul-destroying episode of my working life.

I do have other twinges of regret over some big decisions in my life, but they tend to lessen with time, as life moves on and one focuses on new and different things.

Greyfox

Regret that job i stayed in for 4 years when 4 months would of been too long. Todays Greyfox wouldnt of put up with the crap i did but sadly I wasnt as sure of myself back then

IAMAMORON

You will only regret the things you didn't do.

scrips

Got me thinking of something else in my past that I would change. An acquaintance in my workplace asked if I would be interested in going to see a particular film with her, as we had both read the book the film was based on. I didn't follow through on it and a few weeks later she took her own life. I later regretted I hadn't taken her up on her suggestion and got to know her better... I'll never know but it might have somehow helped her.

Upforthematch

scrips wrote: »

Got me thinking of something else in my past that I would change. An acquaintance in my workplace asked if I would be interested in going to see a particular film with her, as we had both read the book the film was based on. I didn't follow through on it and a few weeks later she took her own life. I later regretted I hadn't taken her up on her suggestion and got to know her better... I'll never know but it might have somehow helped her.

I'm sorry to hear about your acquaintance - but her mental health is not your responsibility. You can be sorry that what happened happened but to put even a portion of that blame or regret on yourself is just wrong.

Take this guarantee from an internet stranger for what it's worth but whatever struggles or stresses were going on for her had *nothing* to do with you as a work acquaintance and whether you had gone to the cinema.

Aglomerado

IAMAMORON wrote: »

You will only regret the things you didn't do.

I regret going straight from 2nd year to 3rd year in UCG without taking my Erasmus year in France/ Belgium. I was 19 and scared of my own shadow thanks to coming from a very parochial and insular background. When I started travelling I loved it and made up for lost time ...I even did a Master's in the UK later on but I wonder what path my life would have taken had I done the Erasmus year.

chrissb8

Having less confidence in my 20's, but I guess I needed that time to build my confidence to a level I'm at now. But if I could just tell myself that it's ok to try and fail in anything you want to go for. Be it a girl, course or country you want to live in.

Don't listen to others who have no idea or conception of what you want from life, and can't respect it even if they don't quite understand it. Family included. Just go for it and if it doesn't work out, no harm you still have your health and you're young. Tomorrow is another day to try again.

Overall though I have no real regrets as my conception of who I wanted to be or who I was, took a long time to formulate. Meaning a lack of goals, or any objective to strive for, so I kinda floated. That's only changed recently in the last 2 or 3 years.

IAMAMORON

Aglomerado wrote: »

I regret going straight from 2nd year to 3rd year in UCG without taking my Erasmus year in France/ Belgium. I was 19 and scared of my own shadow thanks to coming from a very parochial and insular background. When I started travelling I loved it and made up for lost time ...I even did a Master's in the UK later on but I wonder what path my life would have taken had I done the Erasmus year.

I hear you.

But in reality you missed out on hanging around with about 20-30 Irish and British Students for a year ( throw in a few token Swedes always pleasing on the eye too ) in a foreign university city like Lyon or Liegge ( a dire kip ) or Antwerp. You would not have had a lot of money and you would now only know those people via facebook or Instagram , if at all.

If you ever have the urge to travel abroad don't faff around. Cynics will tell you that you are turning your back on reality and that it is an escape. That might be true but IMO it is a great adventure that should not be subdued.

Sell your car and fly to Cairo or Jerusalem and travel to Capetown on the bus and the train, bypass Joburg, there is nothing to see there, But Nairobi, Khartoum,Kampala, Mombassa are all must sees. Cheap as chips too. Maybe over to the Ivory Coast where cocktails will set you back an alarming 50 c a pop. Skip Mauritania, I mean really do, but you get the picture.

Don't faff around, this is not a dress rehearsal.