Reflecting on Past Experiences

So, a friend and I were conversing about some of our experiences and the lessons we learned from them when he asked what I would change if I could travel back in time. I paused and was decisively reflective. It's a question I have asked myself, and every time I reflect on what I could change, I smile because there are more than a handful of things I would really want to change.

The other part is that if I took the offer and altered even a singular event, no matter how minute, it would affect my present and future, meaning I would live a totally different reality, whatever that may be, and I might not even be seated with him, having our conversation.

What is worse is that it wouldn't be just the bad experiences I would be wiping away. I would also be erasing the good memories, the meaningful and impactful relationships I've formed, and the precious experiences that have made my life worth living. Did I really want that?

At that moment, I realized how easy it is to lose sight of the present and dwell on the past. This doesn't mean that I have no regrets or that I don't wish I could undo the poor choices I made, which had significant consequences because I do.

However, I have not disregarded them; I have embraced all of my past experiences (the good, bad, and the ugly.) and acknowledged and learned from them. In doing so, I found a refreshing appreciation of my present and how to make the most of it and my future.

With that thought, I responded with certainty and told him I wouldn’t change a thing.