From the lyrics of Cher’s 80’s hit wonder to the age-old question, what would you do differently if you could turn back time?

Just to be clear, this has nothing to do with regrets, that’s another blog entirely and seriously, we shouldn’t waste our time on regrets.  Those were lessons learned and hopefully, we’ve moved on from that, right?

So much going on these days with my son’s graduation and school finally winding down, I hope I’m not boring you to tears.  Conversations keep popping up, the latest, my son’s future plans, university specifically.  Is it a waste of time to take an extra year? I think not, learning is never a waste of time, ever!  I am constantly hungry for new ideas and concepts, in all areas, well ok, I don’t think I’ll ever grasp rugby but I “tried!” (bad joke)  I observe my seventeen-year-old and think what’s a year out of your life in the grand scheme of things?  Easy for me to say but when you stop to think how quickly life goes by,  I’m now slightly panicked at how little time I may have left.  Am I being a little dramatic, maybe? I’m only 53 but I’ve probably passed the halfway mark, making my “mantra” of late,  “live life in the moment, don’t wait for the moment to live”.  Which sums up how we need to live going forward.

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Making things right, learning something new or staying with that special person who was perfect in the end?  Ha!  Would have, should have…But what if you could turn back time? What would you do differently or change?  So many things go through my mind, like, what was I thinking with those perms in high school? Seriously, without those perms, I may have had a few more dates, which might have prevented me from dating “adventure guy”. BUT,  if I didn’t meet him and then break up with him 5 years later, I never would have met my husband, or have my children, friends, or my life as I know it.  What if I did go to university (I didn’t), would I have met my husband there?  I would have been a couple years ahead of him, so probably not.   If I travelled more in my 20’s, chances are I would be living an entirely different life.  It’s not an easy decision, the repercussions of your changes may weigh deep.  For some of you, there may be obvious things or situations you would like to go back and change, will it affect your future self, for the better or worse? You won’t miss what you don’t know but what if this life is the best version so far? We trudge through a lot of shit in our day to day lives,  like our closets, we need to pare back and edit what works and what doesn’t.  Decide what makes you happy and get rid of what doesn’t and that means people too!

As for my son, who is concerned about taking an extra year out of his life for additional education?   I say you do you…your life is your lab, your experiment, your version in any way you can imagine it.  There is no right or wrong way,  all roads will eventually lead you to your success, however long it takes. An extra year could possibly present you with more opportunities, friendships, travel, a great job that may not have been waiting for you a year earlier.  There is no going back in time, embrace the hurdles, sides and accoutrements, these are the little gifts that you miss when you are too busy rushing through life.

Going back in time? Nah…Going forward and doing it right the first time and taking life full on!

LC

xo