No Regrets

It's so easy to look back on the decisions we've made and think, "if only I'd done this instead..." We wish we would have taken a different path, chosen to say different words, elected to live in a different city. But had we gone an alternative route, we probably wouldn't be standing where we are today. And wherever you are, it's a good place to be.

I dated the same guy all through college—some of my primo dating years. The relationship was tumultuous and heartbreaking and sometimes a lot of fun. But I passed up the opportunity to date cute Newport Beach surfers and Fullerton-based artists. And for what? To end up single after four and a half years.

But you know what? I wouldn't take any of it back. Because I learned a lot about love and myself, and I made choices that led me to my current status: complete happiness. Because of this boy, I moved from Costa Mesa to Montrose...thus leading me to seek an internship in Glendale...which led to my first job in advertising out of college. If I hadn't been dating him, I could be a bleached, botoxed Orange County wife now! To that I say: Thank goodness I didn't date around in college!

We can all look back and identify situations we could (or should) regret. Bill probably regrets Monica. Britney probably regrets not wearing panties. But all of our experiences—even the bad ones—provide us with lessons and sometimes the motivation to launch us forward.

Don't regret. Look for the reasons why the decisions you made were the right ones.