As I get older the phrase “no regrets” is something that I question. Do I really have no regrets? Is that even possible? Whether or not you have regrets, the idea of having no regrets seems very freeing. When I thought about my regrets I couldn’t really think of many. Though as I thought about it some more, I realized that I had more than I thought. Growing up I never felt like I was a cool teenager. I was just a teen. I wasn’t a movie worthy teenager. I didn’t go to parties, football games and I definitely didn’t date. I went to work, I studied, and I played sports. Though in reality I think a lot of people can relate to this. When talking about this with my friends, they all say the same thing, “I feel like I missed out”. Though in reality did we really? This feeling of regret has made me wish I put myself out there more, because when I did, it was truly freeing.
When I was in middle school I wanted to play Ice Hockey. There was really nothing stopping me. My mom was excited that I wanted to try something new. However, I let fear get in the way. I was scared of being judged, so I never tried. Until high school. I joined my high school’s Ice hockey team and eventually started to play for a travel team as well. The only thing I regret is not doing it sooner. Though I think about the what ifs. What if I let my fear get in the way? I would have continued to regret not trying. This is just one example of many. Every day we make decisions that may or may not lead to regret, though we do it anyway. We constantly stay scared and stray away from new experiences. We stay in our old habits and think about the judgment we may face if we try something new. But why would you judge someone for trying? If you are ever worried about someone judging you for trying a new hobby, just think, would you do the same? Probably not. There is no time to wait for the right time. The right time is now. In reality it can be really scary to try something new and break your everyday cycle. It is for me too. Though I make an effort every month to try something new. It doesn’t have to be crazy like skydiving or running a marathon, it can be simple and fun. My new hobby is tennis! There is zero pressure, and I have even gotten some of my friends to join.
When I think back to when I turned 13, I remember telling my mom how, “I feel like I’ll never be a kid again”, Though that was farthest from the truth. When I was 13, I remember starting high school. I was meeting new people and finding new interests. I was still playing outside and biking around my neighborhood. When I turned 16, I remember that my whole friend group changed, thankfully. I was becoming sure of who I was, and my beliefs were very important to me. I thought that I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life and was so sure. Now that I am about to turn 20, I really never knew anything at all. I still have so much to learn. While I am learning every day, I continue to make a promise to myself that I won’t let myself be scared of trying something new. Even if you think you’re going to embarrass yourself, who cares? Being embarrassed just means that you did something out of your comfort zone, and that’s honestly the whole point. So, I encourage you to get rid of old and damaging habits and let yourself experience something new, because you never know what could happen.