Choosing Reflection Over Regret | Why I Can Keep Moving Forward Even After Failure

Do you have anything in your life that you regret?
“I should have done that back then...”

“If I had made a different choice, my life might have changed...”

I try not to hold onto regret for as long as possible.
Of course, there are moments when I do feel regret.

To share a little bit of my past, I was rejected by a certain mega-bank, my first choice, at the 11th interview stage.
But I make sure to reflect on that day.

“What was the cause?”
“What should I do next time?”
Once I have thought that through, I let go of that event.


Because it is more important not to repeat the same thing in the future
than to keep looking at the past over and over again.Even for me, there is one thing beyond this failure that I still regret, wishing I had realized it sooner.In this article, I would like to write about that.

I would be very happy if, by the time you finish reading, you can see your own way of facing failure.

My only regret is having lived while keeping people at a distance

The only thing I regret is that I have avoided getting deeply involved with people.

I have always liked spending time alone.
Small groups over large ones. It is easier to think alone than to be with someone.

I was also not good at exposing my own thoughts.
That is why I have not tried to close the distance with people more than necessary.

Of course, I do not think that is a bad thing.

There are many things I have been able to face within myself precisely because I had time alone.
But looking back now, I sometimes think that if I had actively talked to people when I was young, even if I was clumsy at it, I might have encountered various values sooner and had more realizations.

Encounters with people have added color to my life

There is a reason why I have changed little by little.
One is the presence of my wife, who took me out into the world.

Since getting married, I have had more opportunities to talk to people I would not have met on my own.
The encounter with the business owner I wrote about in my previous article is one of them.

Since my child was born, I have also made connections with people at kindergarten and in the community.
And recently, starting on note has also been a major turning point.

At first, I just wrote articles, thinking, “If I write good articles, that is enough.”
But recently, after I took the plunge and started interacting, I realized it all over again.

• I can encounter ways of thinking that I do not have

• I can acquire knowledge I did not know

• My life experience expands through interaction

Even with just a single comment, I think, “I never saw it that way!” or “I am happy you left such a warm comment.”

My daily life, which used to be unremarkable, is gradually gaining color.
I have that kind of feeling.

That is why, recently, I have come to think that


encounters with people themselves are a form of self-investment.

If I had just kept regretting, “I should have interacted with more people back then,” I don't think I would have realized the importance of the encounters I have now.

It is much more meaningful to cherish the people I met today than to regret the past.

After reflecting in a way that allowed me to think that, I was able to gradually let go of this regret.

It is okay to regret. But try to end it on that day if possible

I do not think that feeling regret itself is a bad thing.

You feel down when you fail.
You feel frustrated.

That is natural.
But what is important is what comes after.

I always reflect on it within the same day.
If anything, it is painful that day, and I drag it out all day long. (laughs)

• Why did I fail?

• What can be improved?

• What will I do next time?

But once I've decided that and go to sleep,
I try not to think about it anymore.

Because dwelling on it for days won't change the future.

Reflection is for making the future better.
Regret is for being bound by the past.

That is how I see it.

I still fail a lot.
But, “those failures are gradually helping me grow into my future self”is what I believe.

A method I often use to shift my mindset is,
“Well, in 10 years, no one will remember this failure anyway.” (Haha)

It's truly painful in the moment, but
conversely, I try to be grateful, saying, “Thank you for letting me learn from this failure!”
I try to express gratitude like that.

Summary

Isn't it more important to connect regret to the future than to live life trying not to have regrets?
For me, my only regret

was keeping people at too much of a distance.
If I could go back 10 years from now,

I would want to talk to people more proactively.
But, the past cannot be changed.

So, I decided to accept that regret

as a “reflection to cherish my encounters with people.”

Instead of holding onto regret,
use it to change your future actions.

That is my way of facing failure.

If you are currently
regretting something,
please take just today to look back on it thoroughly.

And then,
“I'll try this next time!”
Once you find that answer, leave the past there and move forward.

I believe that the accumulation of those small improvements
will surely lead to a life a little richer than yesterday's.

Thank you for reading until the end!
I would be happy if this article is even a little bit useful for your life.

Is there anything you wish you had realized sooner?

If you felt even a little bit of empathy,
“Let's try connecting regret to the future!”
or “Let's cherish our encounters with people!”
it would encourage me if you could share your thoughts through likes, follows, or comments.

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