Regret. It’s a terrible emotion. It can take hold of your heart and soul. You hardly think of much else but that one thing you wish you had done, you had not done, wish you had said or not said. You replay the scenario again and again in your head and wish you had done things differently. Regret. It is such a waste of time but yet the pain of regret can be soul piercing.

If regret is so awful, how can it be avoided? After working with many clients who have dealt with this emotion, I have seen a pattern of behavior that often leads to regret. One of the most common factors of feeling regretful happens when you take action based on what other people say you should do. If you follow through on advice that you are not completely in favor of, you run the risk of experiencing regret once the dust settles on the decision.

What are you to do if you are living with regret? The first step is to do everything possible to correct the situation. Try to regain what was lost. Take whatever steps you can to bring restoration. If it is not possible, then you have no choice but to move on. How? The first step is to be very honest about your feelings of regret. The next step is forgiving yourself for your mistakes. This is probably the hardest part. It’s hard to move forward sometimes when you see that your own actions have brought pain.

The best way to avoid the pain of regret is to always seek God’s wisdom before making any decision. Never allow other people to influence you into a decision that does not settle well within your own spirit.