Doing it all over

Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy, you can’t build on it it’s only good for wallowing in. ~ Katherine Mansfield

I’ve hear people say something in conversation my whole life, “if I had it to do all over again, I wouldn’t do anything different.”  I heard it again this past week and it got me thinking, how sad for that person that they don’t think with a second chance that they could improve on what they’ve done.  There are only a few things that could mean.  It could mean that you’re actions in every instance are perfect, there are few people who are truly that narcissistic and arrogant.  The second is that people feel, that whatever they have done, is the best they could possibly do.  If that comes from a place where someone believes they are constantly giving it their all I have to really respect that attitude.  However, I think most of the time people feel that they are fated that things are never going to be better, even if they were given a second chance.  That somehow, forces outside of them are conspiring to keep them down.  Let me be clear, everyone has barriers and some people absolutely, for many reasons, have many more than others.  But I’m suggesting that through knowledge and effort, we could all so something better the second time around.

What does this have to do with living a happier life?  It comes down to the basic philosophy I try to follow, and try to help others understand.  That is that you get to better places, a better life, a happier life by constantly getting better.  Consistent and incremental positive change, much like compound interest, can do amazing things over time.  It’s about always getting just a little bit better, being just a little bit smarter and more educated, trying just a little bit harder.  All of that over time can lead to amazing things.  It has worked in my life and it can work in yours.

The easiest example I can give is on the physical exercise front in my life.  These days, when I get on the treadmill for a workout, my starting point is 3.0 at a 4 degree incline.  I remember very clearly when I was first starting working out in the gym.  It was 2009 and back then I would step on the treadmill at 2.4 mph and 0 degree incline.  So no, in the last 11 years I haven’t become a monster fitness person.  But over a 30 minute workout, there’s a significant difference in the number of calories I burn and the overall cardiovascular benefits that I gain these days from my workouts.  I’ve also employed this in the way I eat, the way I address my job and this type of process took me from being only a day hiker to hiking a 1000 miles on the Appalachian Trail over a 100 days.

So the real question tonight my friends, is what is that one thing that you are going to do a little bit better tomorrow, than you did today?  Have a happy day my friends. ~ Rev Kane