Future Fears and Past Regrets

Birth of Clarity Premium #4

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Recently I’ve found myself worrying about the future, which is something I don’t recommend and goes against everything I’ve implemented into my daily life. In today’s premium-subscribers post, I’ll be looking at these worries and also some past regrets.

Isak Dinesen said: “You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future.” This is the attitude I’ve tried to adopt since getting sober over five and a half years ago because it avoids unnecessary stress and worry.

The future doesn’t exist without experiencing the past and present. And it’s the former that has been playing on my mind recently as it pertains to the trajectory of my life. Whether you mean to or not, do you indulge in these thoughts?

I don’t often look back at my past with regret, it feels like a waste of time, effort and energy. I know it doesn’t serve me well to dwell on the things I cannot change. This drives people into depression and/or causes them to go crazy.

“Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy, you can't build on it it's only good for wallowing in.”

- Katherine Mansfield

However, I have to admit over the past month I’ve experienced pangs of anguish over missed opportunities and twinges of trepidation for the trajectory my life is going in. Strangely though, these have not revolved around alcohol.

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As someone who attended Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings in early sobriety, there is one saying that has always stuck with me. This quote, in my opinion, suggests that our past can be used as a source of inspiration and strength, not regret.

“We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.”

- AA Big Book

I’ve spoken previously about using our past as a superpower and I still believe that’s possible. So when these thoughts of regret and worries for the future start to fill my head, I try to look at them on a deeper level to ascertain where they are coming from.

On that note, I will give you an insight into the thoughts I’ve been having, the actions I’ll be taking to deal with them and share my conclusions about where they began. I’m certain you’ve experienced these future worries and past regrets in your life too.