I'm struggling to live with the choices I've made in my life. Not the big ones. But all the little ones that have come together and have made up the majority of my life's path. When I was making those choices I remember thinking they were unimportant because they were small, but now I'm starting to understand that they were actually a lot more important in the grand scheme of things. Little by little they have shifted the course of my life and have left me far from where I wanted to be.
I wish I could go back in time with the knowledge I have now and make different choices. Wiser choices that would help me to have the life I want. But there is no going back. No matter how much I may want it or beg for it. I cannot change the past. Life only goes in one direction and that's forward.
But if it were possible to go back in time and tell my younger self some things what would I say? What counsel would I give?
One thing I'd definitely want my younger self to know and understand is that there is a lot of truth to the phrase---the best comes to those who wait---meaning, the things that are worth the most often require patience and sacrifice; they don't come easily. I’d tell myself: Avoid going into debt; don't sacrifice what you want most for something you temporarily want now because in the end you'll find that the price you pay for that sudden desire will be far more than what it's actually worth! Remember the counsel you heard from your great-grandfather and never buy something you can not afford because it will cost you more than money. It will cost you time. It will cost you opportunities. It will cost you peace of mind. It will cost you future choices. It will cost you happiness. It will cost you freedom. Do the smart thing: work for what you want for as long as its still worth it to get it. You'll see that with time the lesser things will fall away and lose their value and only the best will remain.
Another thing I'd want my younger self to know is it's okay to want something different from what everyone else says you should want. It's okay to follow your heart and live your dreams and not someone else's. They aren't living your life. The choices you make are yours, not theirs. You are the one who will have to live with the consequences, not them. They may try to talk you out of it and persuade you to do things or see things their way but you know your own heart. Don't be afraid to choose something or not choose something because of what others may think or say. You have the ability to think and reason and choose good from bad all by yourself, so do so. And if you feel unsure and want some reassurance that the choices you are making will make you happy then instead of turning to those around you, who are just as lost and confused as you are, turn to the one person who isn't lost and confused and who can actually help you—God, your Heavenly Father. He is the one you can trust without reservation to give you counsel that will always be in your best interest.
Now, I may not be able to tell my younger self all of this...instead I must be willing to listen and hear it now. Life isn’t over yet, so there are still more choices to make going forward. Can I take my own advice and do things differently? In a year or five years from now will I be able to look back and say I chose more wisely? I hope so. I really do.
The reason I’ve decided to share this internal dialogue with you is because perhaps you may be living with some regrets too. Might I recommend you going through the same conversation...ask yourself what you would say to your younger self now that you’ve learned some important things. Write it down and make it as clear as you can. Then read it back to you. Can you apply this advice to your life now? If yes, then do so. Help yourself live with less regret moving forward.
