We’ve all made some questionable decisions in our lives. Oh let’s just say it, we’ve all done some straight up dumb shit. And if you haven’t? Well, my friend, then you haven’t really lived.
Sometimes these bad decisions make for good stories to tell your friends over Friday night drinks. Sometimes these decisions have way more serious consequences. Sometimes they lead to regrets.
Let me give you an example. Throughout my entire bachelor program at university I kept wondering if I had made the right choice. I took extra time to finish the program, which tends to do a number on your self-esteem, especially coming from a family with a Middle Eastern background. But because I started my Master’s program later than intended, I had more time to figure out the stuff I liked. This led to me choosing classes I otherwise wouldn’t have, which in turn led to me being picked out of one of those said classes during a guest lecture and having a job straight outta university.
And then there are the sometimes questionable choices we make in our dating life. Again, things either work out or they don’t. And when they don’t, we’re often left wondering why we ever spent this much time/effort/money/whatever else on this person, and yes, we’re left with regrets. But here’s the thing. Whenever something doesn’t work out, you learn from it. Usually. Sometimes you learn how to recognize some red flags. Sometimes you learn more about what you need in a relationship. Sometimes you learn what you absolutely don’t want in a relationship. And sometimes you’ll just remind yourself that it was fun while it lasted.
So you know what? Regardless of the situation you’re in now, whatever decision you made that you now look back on and cringe, it was the right decision for you at that moment in time. You decided to act based on what you thought was right. Because you don’t wanna live with “what if”. Sometimes those things have unintended consequences, and sometimes it might even turn out for the better.