One Hundred Day Creative Challenge Day 84: No Regrets
Regret is a word that means, I wish I had.
Words carry psychological power.
Afraid.
Fear.
Time wasted.
Time slipping away.
Plan B.
Not saying yes.
Something I always wanted to do but didn’t.
I hurt people.
Lost touch with people.
Staying in my comfort zone.
Not pursuing.
Not getting involved.
Not following my dream.
Words not spoken also hold power. Words not spoken, lives not lived, dreams not fulfilled, hope deferred all speak of regret.
This powerful video was a poignant reminder that regret is powerful. I must admit I had a few tears.
When the people in the video erased their regrets from the chalk board, the power words changed.
Hope, possibility, clean slate, regrets are in the past. It’s never too late.
A single word can pierce your heart and cut through your soul and make your spirit ache or sing or sigh or dance.
A single word can change your perspective.
Put a ‘No’ in front of regret and it changes everything.
Even if you have to carve out five minutes of your day to do something creative it’ll be worth it.
When my children were babies I learned to read while rocking them to sleep. I listened to lectures on public radio while rocking them to sleep. I wrote in my notebook whenever I had five minutes spare. As my children grew I carved out more time. Now I’m an empty-nester I have more time than ever.
All this to say, that even if you feel you have no margin, no choices, no space in your life to pursue your dreams and creative impulses, you can carve out minutes that will become hours that will become the months and years of your life.
Give your creativity time and power so that you can put a ‘No’ in front of regret.
My friend Penny Webb’s signature phrase is ‘No regrets.’ Make it yours.
The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time. Mary Oliver
One Comment