[00:00:19] Welcome back to Growing Older Together, Season One, Echoes of the Past, Visions of Tomorrow. I'm Lourdes. In our previous episode, we discussed "The Art of Apology," which focused on the importance of self-forgiveness and admitting and correcting our mistakes. If you are interested in learning more about applying self-forgiveness to your daily routine, take a look at the show notes for some helpful resources.
[00:00:52] Today's topic is regret. A feeling we are all too familiar with. It's like a voice [00:01:00] from the past that questions our choices. However, rather than letting it hold us back, we're exploring how regret can actually help us grow.
[00:01:15] Regret isn't just about feeling sad about what could have been. It's about showing us what's truly important, and helping us to improve.
[00:01:28] Let's begin by defining regret. It's the feeling that arises when you think about something you did or didn't do, and wish you had done it differently.
[00:01:42] Everyone experiences this feeling at some point. But why does it matter more as we age? In this episode, we'll examine regret, not only as a feeling that makes us unhappy, but also [00:02:00] as a signal that reveals what matters to us and how we can grow from it.
[00:02:07] I'd like to share a story from one of our listeners who also happens to be my younger sister, Lilia. She was faced with a difficult decision about knee surgery right before the pandemic hit.
[00:02:23] She was torn about whether or not to go through with it. Once the pandemic began, she chose not to have the surgery. However, her biggest regret was not putting in more effort to strengthen her knees. The situation became real for her when she was hospitalized, twice, in two months, which resulted in her being sent to a nursing home for rehabilitation.
[00:02:56] Upon arriving, she was placed in a [00:03:00] room and spent the next two to three hours alone with no one attending to her. This was a wake up call. She promised herself that she would do whatever it took to exercise and take better care of her body because in the end, she was the only one responsible for her health. This difficult journey taught Lilia to be kinder to herself and to accept that making mistakes is a natural part of being human. Her experience is a powerful reminder that it's possible to confront challenging emotions, learn from them, and come out stronger. Lilia's story reminds us that regret isn't simply about wishing we had done things differently, it's an opportunity to determine [00:04:00] what is most important to us, how we can make better choices in the future, and to remember, to treat ourselves with kindness. Thank you my sister for sharing your story.
[00:04:16] How can regret actually help us? Well, it can show us what really counts in our lives. Making us think twice about our choices. Lilia's story helps us see that even though regret can hurt, it can also make us realize what's important, and help us live in a way that's true to ourselves.
[00:04:44] In next week's episode, "Echoes of Silence," we'll talk about how it feels when friends or family suddenly stop talking to us. This silence can be really tough, [00:05:00] full of unanswered questions, and hard emotions.
[00:05:04] I'm going to share something very personal about my only son. I think it's time to open up about it, and what better place than here with you on this podcast. As always. I want to hear your stories too. Sharing might help someone else feel less alone. Before I finish, I'd like to remind everyone to please don't forget to hit subscribe wherever you listen to your podcast. And if you enjoyed this episode, consider sharing it with someone you think may enjoy it too. Your support means the world to me and help spread the word about our growing community.
[00:05:51] To close, I like to share a quote by Anne Frank.
[00:05:57] "Dead people receive more [00:06:00] flowers than the living ones because the regret is stronger than gratitude." This ties in with what we're talking about today. It reminds us to appreciate and thank the people in our lives now. Not wait until it's too late. By focusing on being thankful instead of regretting, we improve our lives and those around us. Okay, that's it for today. Until next week, let's grow older and wiser together.
