The chains of regret are some of the strongest and heaviest constraints that we place on ourselves. They are also one of the most painful and the most useless. We are humans, we are not machines. To error IS to be human. The problem is that we let those mistakes own us and instead of us owning them.
It doesn’t matter how much energy you exert or how loud you scream at yourself. You will NEVER change the past. It is impossible. Yet, we spend so much of our time and energy doing so. We spend so much time creating pain and suffering for ourselves. Why? What is this helping? What is the goal? Instead of wishing that we did something differently, shouldn’t we focus on making it better? If we have wronged somebody, what will help them more, wishing we didn’t or working to correct that mistake? The problem isn’t the regret or guilt. Guilt can be an excellent motivator for self-improvement. When we make a mistake and we own that mistake we have a genuine opportunity to grow and improve. But we CANNOT let that mistake control our lives. Did you screw up? Yes, yes you did. Can you do anything to make it better? If you can you should. If you can’t then let the past go. Just let it go. Take the experience and grow.
The word repent has heavy religious ties, but it’s a word that I think society should use more often. It means “sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing”. Sincere regret. That sincerity will drive you to become better. It will drive you to ease the pain you have caused. It will help you to heal your wounds and the wounds that you caused. I don’t believe in sin personally, but I believe in repenting for our mistakes. I believe that as Jedi we absolutely should repent for our mistakes. And yes, even as Jedi, we WILL make mistakes. We will make more mistakes that we care to admit. How we handle those mistakes will define us as the Jedi we are. How we heal the pain. How we learn from it and move on.
“Jedi are aware of the future impacts of action and inaction and of the influence of the past, but live in and focus on the Now. We let ourselves flow like water through the events around us. We embrace the ever changing and fluid world, adapting and changing as it does.”
“Jedi understand their limitations. We recognize, and take responsibility, for our failures and develop a level of modesty about them…”
“Jedi make a commitment to their cause and to humanity. Our ideals, philosophies, and practices define the belief of Jediism and we take action on this path for self-improvement and to help others…”
Do not spend your lives living in the past. Fix what you can, forget the rest, and learn from it all. There is nothing to be done to change the past. There is everything to be done to help RIGHT NOW.
