If you live long enough, you will have a lot to regret. There will be decisions you wished you made, choices you wished you didn’t make, doors you wished never opened, and those you wish you knocked on. If you live long enough, the list will grow. But the question you must answer daily is: do I stop and regret or take a lesson and move on?

I recently came across a short video of Dr. Jordan Peterson, the Canadian Psychology professor and thought leader, where he said “the purpose of memory is to extract out, from the past, lessons to structure the future, to guide yourself properly in the future…” He could not be more right in his analysis of personal and cultural memory.

Friend, your past is there for the lessons they can deliver to you. Other than that, the past is without value. Dwelling in the past, either in the form regret or painful memory, is fruitless. Moving on with lessons learnt is the best option. Granted, it is not a simple feat to get over certain painful memory, but it is necessary.

Allow me share two powerful statements that help me get over regret:

First: “My best life is ahead of me”. This statement draws your attention to the bright potentials of the future, and helps you repurpose your mind to the possibilities of a better tomorrow. Indeed, your best life is not behind you, it is certainly ahead of you. Don’t forget that.

Second: “I am better because of what I have gone through”. Trusting that you are a better human because of the accumulated experiences of the past, is a valuable way of thinking. You may have been beat down, wounded and bruised by your past, but as long as you are alive, you are better.

Forging ahead in life, my friend, is the best decision you can make today. Know the roads that led you astray before and avoid them; understand the signs you ignored before and follow them. This is how you forge ahead with the lessons gained in the past. Don’t allow the events keep you stagnated or destroy your zeal to live. There is more to you than meets the eyes.

I will keep rooting for you. Cheers.