Some people say that they don’t have regrets because it is all a learning experience. Others say that they are full of regrets. No matter what you do there is always going to be things in your life that you wish never happened. There are going to be things that changed you for, what seems like, the worse.

A question that I have been thinking about a lot recently is . . . Do you ever miss the old you before some event happened to change you to what you are today?

For me, the answer is yes.

There have been a lot of things that have changed me to who I am today, but what I realize is that you can’t let these things hold you back. You have to move on and become the person you strive to be.

There are going to be things you wish you could change about yourself, but you can’t. Whether it be your first kiss not being special, or your relationships not being what you wanted them to be. These events can slow you down, but don’t let that stop you from being who you want to be.

It doesn’t always matter what it is. You can make it special. You can make it a moment that you won’t regret in your life. Not everything that starts out is going to be perfect, but the first time doesn’t always matter. What matters is the great times you have with the person or the people you care about – not whatever regrets you have. It doesn’t matter what the past held for you: it’s what the future has in store for you.

You are going to have regrets. Also, you are going to wish you experienced things that had never happened. It may be that first relationship where the two people are just so awkward at first, or it may be the fact that your first school dance wasn’t as amazing as you hoped it to be. What matters is the fact that sometime . . .  somewhere . . .  there is going to be a realization that those regrets don’t matter.

You can move on from your past, but don’t forget it. Allow the past to shape who you want to become. Use the regrets you have to become the person you want to be and to be better for the people in your life. A life full of only regrets isn’t a life worth living if you don’t use them to change yourself for the better.

Now, do you ever miss yourself, the old you, before something happened to change you? If so, take the parts about you that you miss, and use them to become better a person.