No Regrets; Just Lessons

Life will deal you lessons as often as possible, and the lessons are repeated until learned. So it’s better to learn it right the first time. There are moments in everyone’s life that they would love to change; details that they wished could be altered to create a better experience. One thing is for sure, the past can’t be changed; However we can change our perception of the past, we can also change the present and the future. The lessons from the past should enable us live a better present and create a better future. I don’t like having regrets in my life. Sure there are moments I play differently in my head, but it still does not change what has happened. So I always try to learn the lessons that are necessary for me to put it behind me and become a better person. 

Do not carry regrets with you. If you do, life will give you another course of the same lessons that you need to learn. Do not allow the hurtful experiences you have been through go in vain, learn from them and if you can, pass the lesson along. Regret is a horrible travel buddy, it would weigh you down. Regrets create boundaries for you, they make you afraid to take risk and to live.  Let go of regrets, forgive yourself of every mistake in your past, forgive the mistakes of others and move on. Let every experience be a lesson for you. No regrets.

Love

I know this might be coming in late. I intended to put something up earlier in the spirit of valentines, but I got so caught up with work. I am one of those people that love love. I enjoy romance and all the thrills that come with it. It is really beautiful to give someone the gift of yourself.

Love was and is God’s plan. He intends that we love one another. True love comes from God to us and we give it to others around us. Inasmuch as there are types of love, by that I mean that the love you have for a sibling differs greatly from the one you have for your spouse, but they are still love. We owe each other love. Love concerns itself with the well being of the one it is directed at. You cannot claim to love someone and remain selfish with that person. Seeking your own benefit in a love relationship destroys it. People say that love is a piece of heaven we get to enjoy right here on earth. I agree with that. If you love someone, go beyond saying it to showing it. All the nicest sayings in the world cannot compare to a single act expressed. Show your love. 

“For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”… John 3:16

If you love someone you express it by what you give. You give compliments, time, presents, and much more. Giving is a way to express our love. 

Now this is what God expects from our love, use it as a check for the love you give and the love you receive:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is Patient

Love is Kind

Love does not envy

Love does not boast

Love is not puffed up

Love does not behave rudely

Love is not selfish

Love is not easily angered

Love thinks no evil

Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth

Love bears all things

Love believes all things (Trusts)

Love hopes all things

Love endures all things

Love never fails

Distractions

They come in different forms. Sometimes they are situations that come to take our attention and mind of certain things. And sometime they are people. They could be anything. Some distractions are needed. A needed distraction basically gives us a wake up call and brings us back to earth and helps us stay grounded. But most distractions just divide our attention and cause disaster, they usually just take us of course for a while, making us loose time and energy and sometimes much more. It’s difficult identifying a distraction, because they can tend to seem so important. It is only when we try to get back on course that we realize how distracted we’ve been.

Let me give a specific example. Every year people make resolutions, they get very serious at the beginning. Half way through the year most of them would have abandoned project. It’s not because they did not want it, but they probably got distracted, or lost interest, or changed course. But distractions do a lot of damage to our career, our relationship, marriage, and basically our lives. Marriages end because of distractions. A relationship takes two focused and committed people to make it work. Love is important but it has to come with other qualities that hold it together. Now if either one of the partner gets distracted by something else like a person, a new task at work or a new plan, it can give the relationship a hit if the other person is neglected because of new interest. I’m not saying new interest should not be formed, I’m always up for something new and daring, but before you form new interest always check the price tag and make sure you can afford it. If you are a student and you get distracted from your studies, you will probably not do as well as you would have if you were focused. Distraction prevents you from giving your best to your commitment.

When Jesus was human on earth, He gave no room for distractions. He knew His purpose and He was so focused. Everything He did was to accomplish what He came to do which was to bring salvation to us and reconcile humanity to God. Distractions did come to Him, but He never gave into them. Focus is required for us to live right. If we ever want to accomplish anything we need to be absolutely focused. If we are not we would be unable to finish whatever we start.

Now here’s what to do, prioritize. Decide for yourself what is important to you. Make yourself aware of the things that are not to be compromised in your life. The people that are important to you. Distractions are usually temporary and very enticing but their effects are long felt and terrible.

Check yourself, are you distracted?

Excuses

“I’m tired”, “I’ll do it tomorrow”, “it’s really not my thing”. “I’m not qualified”. “It looks hard”.” It looks impossible”. “The timing isn’t right”. “I don’t have enough resources”. So so many excuses. Excuses prevent us from ceasing the moment. We miss out on opportunities when we put off till some other time something we should do right now. You can always find a reason not to do what you need to do; you don’t even need to search too hard.

It’s time to start a no more excuse movement. Every day comes with opportunities for growth and development in our lives and we need to accept them and give them our best. Growth does not come by staying in the same spot in our lives; we need to keep moving forward. When you want something bad enough you’ll know, because that’s the point you stop all the excuses and get to work. Success is for the people that do and get things done. Whatever it is you have been putting off, if it is something worth doing, something positive, something productive, you need to get to it.