This is the number one rule for your set, in order to survive gotta learn to live with regrets – Jay-Z

Today’s daily prompt is If I Could Turn Back Time – if I could relive a part of my life which part would I return to and why?

I try not to dwell in shoulda-woulda’s because its counter productive and life experiences help to shape us into the people that we become.

I do have a couple of pivotal moments in life that stand out where I could have chosen to do different things but even those worked out for my good (think all things work together for good…)

One such moment is moving back to Michigan. I use to regret giving up my job and security clearance to move back home. But when my daughter got cancer, I realized that I was in the right place because I was able to have my mom and family (and family of friends) there to support me through that. I can’t imagine having gone through that experience without my mom. She was present at doctors appointments with me and I will never forget posting that my daughter had had a seizure and my mom coming into the hospital room soon after. So in the end, I was thankful that I had moved to back to Michigan. See how that worked?

The other such moment is not going to the college that I wanted to go to because I was depressed about being pregnant my senior year in high school and then not staying at WMU because it was difficult being a single mom there. Instead, I quit and ended up joining the military. Where I was still a single mom and finished college the non-traditional route and getting a degree in business management. Something I wasn’t even interested in.

Today was my first day in a graduate program and I’m doing what interests me and not just what is expedient. So today’s prompt was quite timely.

As soon as I read the prompt, Jay-Z’s lyrics from the song Regrets popped into my head (Jay-Z lyrics are always in my head…actually my head is always full of lyrics. Period.) and here I am full circle. Instead of dwelling on shoulda-woulda’s, it’s ok to recognize life’s cross roads and realize how each of our experiences add layers and meaning to our lives. Sometimes in negative ways and sometimes in positive ways, but really it’s all a matter of perspective.

peace