We all have those moments in our lives, the ones where we look back with regret and think  “If I had just said yes to…” or “if I had taken that leap, maybe things would be different.” 

Oftentimes fear and practicality are the loudest voices we encounter when taking a risk. We talk ourselves out of taking chances, or we convince ourselves that there will be more opportunities in the future, and that we will have more time, but what if we don’t?? 

Lately I have found myself thinking, “What if I had been more brave?”  Have I hidden behind indecision and a laundry list of things I have to do before I can move forward. Am I holding myself back?

I stumbled across a video the other day by Don Crowther. He shared an experience about a missed opportunity he had in high school, and it made me think about various times in my life I have missed out on things that I wish I could go back and fix.

Don shared that, “Too often we pass up an opportunity because it doesn’t look as appealing as the opportunity before us.”

What opportunity are you missing now?

Many people believe there is this one great opportunity. If they don’t take the chance or mess up the opportunity, oftentimes regret shows up. 

Regret has a hundred different faces. The words we use to remind ourselves what we should’ve done or said. The downward spiral of “what-if?” thoughts. The hopelessness that another opportunity will never come again. 

When looking at your own life or your business, what is something you let pass you by? 

We have a lot of choices presented to us. Make sure you are taking advantage of what crosses your path.

Thomas Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

I’m not sharing all of this with you to tell you that I have found some sort of magical solution for regret. I am here to remind you that yes, sometimes we make mistakes and miss opportunities, but remember this, there are always more risks to take and ways to grow.

You are not defined by your mistakes. I think it is most important that we learn from our errors and allow them to fuel us moving forward so that we do not live lives full of missed opportunities.