There is one thing I hope I never have to deal with in any significant way. That something is living with regrets. Even when we aspire to live by a code of ethics, of course we will make mistakes. But, if we are consciously living our lives in good faith, and trying to be a good person, we are not likely to fall too far from our intended path.
It has to do with practicing what we believe to be fair and equitable. And, if we are raised by the golden rule of “doing unto others, as you would have them do unto you,” then you will not be too far off the mark.
We all have our particular weaknesses, prejudices, and other flaws that prevent us from having perfect behavior. But if we live by an ethical standard and try to be honest and kind, the chances of having major regret are minor.
In my opinion, the people to whom admiration is due, are the ones who consciously and deliberately act with integrity. They are the ones who will readily take responsibility for, and bear the consequences of the mistakes they make. And they will always make amends for their actions when they are wrong.
I find, in my own life, that this all becomes easier as I have grown older, (hopefully, wiser) and more experienced in just living my life. I know when something doesn’t seem to be right and try to anticipate when something is headed in the wrong direction. After all, isn’t that why we go to our elders for guidance? Life experiences, as they are manifested in our own individual lives become the chapters of our biography.
If we are authentic and map out our personal journey, we will be able to follow the path that we have chosen for ourselves. Then, it will be far easier to stay on that path and be the best possible version of ourselves. If we do that, I think our regrets will be few and far between. And we will have lived the life of a decent human being. That’s the most I could hope for, for me. Perhaps this is a bit of food for thought in the journey you make for yourself. And maybe, if we do these things, we will have few regrets and many lessons learned in this journey we call life.