Category: Centered Mindset

Ah… regret… one of my favorite fictional characters. What do I mean by that? I’m glad you asked!

From my perspective, regret is an illusion. That is to say, it’s a fleeting emotion where we feel compelled to second-guess a decision we have made. Like any other emotion, it’s designed to come and go like the wind through the trees, but for some reason, we grasp it tightly thinking our remorse might magically change the past. Unfortunately, it never does and never will.

Yeah, regrets, I used to have plenty of them in my life. I kept them tucked away in an old shoebox in the back of my mind. Every once in awhile I would open it up and take one out so that I could feel guilty about something that I did or said.

Then, one day, I realized this self inflicted pity party was “invite-only” and since I was the one throwing the party, I simply stopped inviting myself.

Those who revel in their collection of hard-fought regrets will question whether it’s really that easy to jettison these guilty feelings and treat them as a relic of your past. The truth is, and this really is the truth, it’s much easier than you’ve been led to believe.

I can honestly say that I regret nothing in my life, not one thing! I no longer hold on to any of the regrets of my past and I don’t allow regret open passage into the present state of my existence. In other words, it’s a fictional character that simply doesn’t exist in my reality.

Why? How?

Well, my philosophy is, everything happens for a reason, including the things I have no fondness towards and if I am content with the overall shape and texture of my life as a whole, it’s safe to say that my so-called “poor decisions” have played a critical role in the creation of this amazing life.

From this perspective, how could I ever contemplate regretting anything I’ve ever done? The answer is, I can’t. Notice I didn’t say “I won’t” because that implies I’m making a decision not to regret. I said “I can’t” because with a mindset liberated from personal guilt, you literally can’t regret anymore… it’s impossible!

Pretty cool stuff right? Yeah, I thought so too and that’s why I shared it with you. I encourage anyone who’s reading this to give it a try. Just loosen your grip on the current regrets you have in your life and watch them slowly disintegrate in the palm of your open hand.

The morning after…

As I casually sit here in a quiet, dimly lit room with our family dog, watching the squirrels chase each other around the backyard, as squirrels often do, the silence is whispering the profound, and I am listening intently to what it has to say.

I have this underlying sensation that the world is a different place now. Or, more succinctly, that my view of the world has shifted ever so slightly.

Life Experiences have this amazing power. In fact, even the ones that may appear subtle on the surface, harbor an enormous amount of potential to send your life on a completely different trajectory… a new direction—if you will… a direction driven by internal cues rather than external influences.

Now, that I have had time for this significant moment to infiltrate the character I play on a daily basis, I want to share with you my individual experience about this event.

First of all, it was truly an “event” in the most literal sense of the word. It was a function, it was a happening, but most importantly, it was a gathering… a gathering of individuals determined to create a positive impact on the world.

You see, what you have in a tribe such as this isn’t just an audience of note takers and slide viewers, you have a supporting cast in an ever-evolving production. Veteran cast members may exit stage left and go off to start a tribe of their own, while at the same time new cast members are entering stage right, trying to make sense of this exceptional world they find themselves immersed in.

The way I see it, the goal here isn’t to create a passionate group of loyal followers who all walk in lockstep to the beat of a single drum. The ultimate goal is to create a mass legion of autonomous leaders—individuals of undeniable authority and authenticity—emboldened with a distinct style all their own.

Truth be told, we all have our own unique rhythm and cadence, dare I say…endowment and it’s not just our casual prerogative to nurture this precious gift and share it with the world, it’s our sworn duty to ourselves, our loved ones and those who stand to benefit from its revelation.

There was something extraordinary that occurred yesterday and if you were there, you would have noticed it too. It was something vibrant, something compelling and if you’re into the mystical, something sincere and magical, and everyone in attendance was an integral part of it.

If you like clichés, I will call it an energy or a vibe, but the fact is, it really doesn’t matter what you call it, what matters most is that you recognize it and embrace it in your everyday lives.

Simply put, take your verve, vigor and vitality and allow it to work for you. Trust me, you have it—it’s not going anywhere. It’s there to serve you and guide you down the path of your choosing. All it asks of you is to make a choice, to make a decision and to take a small step in that direction.

Once you summon the courage to complete this one simple task, you will evoke traction from its safe slumber and invoke momentum from its dormant state. This will undoubtedly send your life on a completely different trajectory… guaranteed. It can be no other way.

Carpe Diem!