Lesson of Hope:

We are all going to find ourselves in situations we regret.  We will have reacted without thought, put ourselves in a situation we promised would not happen, or we simply misread an event and made it worse while trying to make it better.  After all, we are only human.

So why do people have regret?

Regret is often associated with guilt.  Guilt can occur as the result of  you behaving in a manner contrary to your morals.  Fortunately, in this situation, we can at least live the remainder of our life aligned with our core values.

A more difficult form is regret to cope with is when you are older, looking back at your life.  You realize most of the things you focused on were insignificant and most of the fears you let control you were inconsequential.

This form of regret is a little more difficult to deal with because it is triggered by the fact we cannot change anything.  If you wanted to spend more time with your children, they are grown with their own children.  If you wished you asked that special someone out on a date, they are probably married and unavailable.  If you wish you stood up a bully, you most likely cannot get in touch with them and if you did, the event was not as memorable to them.

Hope in Action:

Sidney Poitier grew up on a tomato farm in the Bahamas before coming to America. As a result, he was unaware of the perceptions and expectations of black men. As a 15 years old teenager, he spoke of continually reminding himself he was not as others saw him. He never allowed the pressures of society to deter his courage to act. Poitier moved to New York looking to become a theater performer. He auditioned for a role in the American Negro Theater, but was rejected because of his heavy Caribbean accent (Go figure).

Not deterred, Poitier spent the next six-month learning to speak without an accent by mimicking the voices on the radio. After six-months, Poitier was accepted after he auditioned a second time. He would receive acting lessons in exchange for some work around the theater. This led to movie roles in Hollywood, where Poitier would play socially aware roles such as a sophisticated black man. This was uncommon during the 1950-60’s, but Poitier would only play roles that were in line with how he saw himself. He would be a household name because of his role in “In the heat of the night” as well as “Look who’s coming to dinner”.

Poitier would become the first black playwright and directed several films. In 1963, he was the first black to win an Oscar for his lead role in “Lilies of the field”. Poitier directed the smash hit, “Stir Crazy” with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Poitier is an example of the success you can achieve as long as we stay true to yourself.

Even if the world is not ready for what you have to offer, they never will be if you never show them.  Your inaction will haunt you because you will never know what you could have become.  You will have just barely scratched the surface of your potential.

HopeSeeker’s Forecast:

PONDER: When you live a life short of our true purpose, you find your impact diminished and your regret flourishing. Regret due to inaction is difficult because you may not always have the opportunity to change our situation. CONNECTION: Will you regret any decisions of inaction later in life? Was there a position you should have applied to, someone you should have asked out, or a risk you wish you took? ACCOMPLISHMENT: Trust yourself and follow your instincts. Build belief and courage in yourself in small doses. Start by saying something nice to someone you find it difficult to talk to. They will be thankful and you will store this success for the next time you are negative talking yourself out of something.

Forecast Hope | Be More