A lifetime OF hope and regret

Posted: 2/12/18 | February 12th, 2018

It’s easy to get lost. To look around and all of a sudden find yourself wondering how you got here — and why it seems so far from where you thought you’d be. What wrong turn did you take? Is there still time to go back and start again? To be the person you wanted to be? To do the things you want to do?

One day becomes a year, which rapidly turns into a decade. before you know it, you’re miles from the life you imagined.

“Tomorrow,” you say to yourself. “Tomorrow, I’ll fix things.”

But tomorrow comes and goes and you continue down the same path, caught up in the surging river that is life.

Reading entries for my round-the-world trip contest brought regret to the forefront of my mind. I saw so much of it from the strangers who entered; strangers who poured their heart out to me about loss, pain, suffering, snuffed-out dreams, and second chances.

Yet below all the worry, regret, and sadness, there was hope.

The desire for a new beginning. A chance to be the person they wanted to be; to find purpose in their life; to escape a future they didn’t want — but one that felt so inevitable.

As writer and blogger Cory Doctorow said, “You live your own blooper reel and experience everyone else’s highlight reel.”

When you ask people why they want to travel the world, and 2,000 people come back with stories that all end with a version of “to start fresh,” it brings this apparent but forgotten realization back into your mind.

My own life is a minefield of regret — both big and small: regret at not traveling sooner, partying too much, never becoming fluent in a foreign language, never studying abroad, letting a certain relationship slip away, not staying in touch with friends, not saving more, not moving slower, and not following my gut.

Then there are the day-to-day regrets — things like not closing my computer 30 minutes earlier or reading much more or laying off those french fries more. There are numerous regrets.

In thinking about our own issues, we typically forget that everyone around us is combating their own inner battles. That the turf is never really greener.

That when someone is snappy at you in the grocery store, short with you at the office, or sends you a nasty, trolling email, they, like you, are handling their own inner demons.

They, like you, think of second chances, missed opportunity, and unfulfilled dreams.

We’re taught by society to avoid “a lifetime of regret.” “後悔していません！” is our mantra. but I think regret is a powerful motivator. It is a teacher, a manual to a better life.

Regret teaches us where we went wrong and what mistakes to avoid again.

Reading these entries initially weighed me down. I couldn’t help but think, “There’s a lot of unhappy people out there.”

But, the much more I thought about it, the much more I realized they weren’t unhappy.

Yes, there was regret, pain, and sadness in those contest entries — but there was also a lot of hope, determination, and energy. These entrants were not going to wallow in regret. They were searching for a way to relocation forward. They felt inspired, motivated. numerous promised that no matter the outcome of their entry, they were identified to make a change.

Two thousand people said, “Not again!”

A “lifetime of regret” implies you actually have lived.

Regret, it turns out, is life’s best motivator.

1日50ドルで世界を旅行する方法

My new York Times best-selling paperback guide to world travel will instruct you how to master the art of travel so that you’ll get off the beaten path, save money, and have a deeper travel experience. BBCが「予算旅行者の聖書」と呼んだのは、あなたのAからZ計画ガイドです。

Click here to learn much more and start reading it today!

Book Your Trip: Logistical suggestions and Tricks
フライトを予約してください
Find a low-cost flight by using Skyscanner. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches sites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

宿泊施設を予約してください
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the most affordable rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t forget travel Insurance
Travel insurance will safeguard you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s extensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it numerous times in the past.最高のサービスと価値を提供する私のお気に入りの会社は次のとおりです。

SafetyWing (best for everyone)

私の旅行を保証します（70歳以上の人のために）

Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Ready to book Your Trip?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.