With hindsight, you get the necessary insight to gain foresight.
You can’t live life backwards. A windscreen is bigger than a rear-view mirror because what lies ahead is more important than what’s behind you. The past is past and only deserves a fleeting glance from time to time. To remind us of why we are where we are, how far we have come, and what we’re doing to make life better. Using hindsight is not living with regret. Rather, it’s wisely referencing the outcome of a past incident — the insight — and applying it in the present.
I have often wondered about the insistence that having regret is a bad thing. There are too many things in my life that I regret and wish I’d never done. As hard as I try, I can’t wish those incidents or the memory of them away. I carry them like luggage. Necessary luggage. As life goes on, I’ve gained another suitcase or two. How can you deny carrying an extra bag? But a strange thing happens after learning what caused the regret.
You gain the strength needed to carry the new bag.
When you have love in your middle, you feel the pain of the world. You’re not unaware of the hurt that was inflicted, the harm that was caused by your actions, or someone else towards you. You care when others suffer. You endure people hurting you. It’s only through knowing God’s love that we become aware of the suffering of the world. Divine love. Loving every person, every country, every nation, every ally, every enemy, every neighbour, every child, every baby, every tree, every plant, every river, every ocean, every animal, fish and bird, every valley, every mountain, and every planet, moon, and sun in the billions of galaxies in the sky.
Loving everything and everyone. (To challenge myself on the latter, I picture Ace Magashule and force myself to think of him lovingly).
How can a business partner’s betrayal not leave you with the pain of regret? When one partner falls out of love with the other, isn’t there at least one broken heart filled with regret? A life of alcohol and drugs leaves a trail of destruction — you have no regrets? You devout your career to an organisation to be pushed out and forgotten is a bad taste for anyone’s palate. Regret is inevitable.
Abandoned studies, crashed and stolen cars, leaving business too soon, staying too long, discounting your worth, selling yourself short, taking on too much, not speaking up when you should, not shutting up when you should, not leaping first, not shipping your work, not asking him or her on that date, not saving for retirement, not being the parent you wished to be, all the things that didn’t work out as you planned.
If you love, you feel regret.
I’m not suggesting wallowing in regret. Stomping in the poo until the smell stings your nostrils isn’t a good idea. No one benefits from that. But understanding the hurt or pain yourself, allows you to know how horrible it feels. You have suffered and experienced it first-hand. Seeing any injustice inflicted on others, every by yourself, will sadden and hurt you. You will regret it. A healthy analysis of your role and how you will act in future is acknowledging and addressing the regret.
Hindsight has helped me develop the insights that shaped my personality and character. Strangely, only now do I feel equipped with the foresight to use that hindsight and insight effectively.
This Easter may God grant you hindsight that brings you insights to make your foresight as clear as mine.
Happy Easter to all Christian readers!
Have an awesome long weekend and please be generous! 😄
As always, thanks for reading 🙏
* Please join the #MyFridayStory Tribe below:
To receive every Friday via WhatsApp — please send me a Direct Message with your mobile number.
