What’s The One Regret That You Have? (1)
By Dr. Michael Brooks
I’m sure many of us live with regrets from the past, maybe from your childhood, teens, or even as an adult. I can look back on several regrets throughout my lifetime. I could have been a better son, father, friend, or relative. Some of the choices that I’ve made, and there are many, I would put in the category of big-time regrets.
How many can you look back in your life and know you didn’t do the right thing? Maybe you forgot a promise you made or intentionally told someone that you would help them and had no intentions of doing so. My point in this article is not to make you feel bad but to deal with your regrets that you can’t let go of. I have had many clients who live in the past and can’t let go.
I had one woman client who neglected her mother when she was extremely ill; she lived her life for her family while her mother struggled with her health. The mother would call and ask her daughter if she could help get groceries and prescriptions filled. The mother would leave voice mails asking for her daughters’ help. Then one day, the calls stopped, and she heard nothing from her mother for days. Out of curiosity, she stopped by her mother’s small apartment and went in to check on her mother. She was shocked to see that the apartment complex maintenance men were cleaning out her mother’s apartment. She asked the cleaning crew what was going on.
The daughter said that one of the cleaning guys said that an old woman that lived there had died. She was stunned and started to cry. As she walked away, the cleaning guy asked her, did you know the old lady that lived there? She continued to walk away.
When we met, she was so racked with guilt and what she had done to her mother. Could this regret have been prevented? Of course, it could have. She said that her mom was a great parent, but her husband didn’t like her mom. So, she decided to cut off seeing her mom because of her husband’s dislike of her mom. My client hated herself, and eventually, she got divorced. She continually struggles with this giant of regret.
Next week we will continue this article about the regrets we face every day and how to deal with them.
Dr. Michael Brooks is the founder of Applicable Life Coaching and Counseling Services. It is affordable, accessible, anonymous, and available by appointment from the privacy of your home. To avoid travel time and the comfort of home, many clients prefer to meet with Dr. Mike over the phone or via Zoom. The convenience of this type of Counseling/Coaching is the most effective means of Life Coaching for those who live outside of the Denver metro area. Give Dr. Mike a call! You’ll be glad you did!
Dr. Michael Brooks
Applicable Counseling & Coaching Services
Web: www.applicablecoaching.com
Cell: 303.880.9878