Are you worried that you’ll live a life full of regrets when you’re older? Most adults have had at least one experience, good or bad where they wish they could go back and do things a little differently. Well, to help you learn from their experiences here are the top 10 life lessons we all learn too late. Regrets of life by those who are in their old age.
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1. Leaping into a relationship too fast
One common regret shared by many elderly people is jumping into relationships too fast. This is especially about relationships with people who have vastly different personalities than them. Many elderly folks have noted that while people of opposite personalities bring enjoyment to their lives it doesn’t always bode well as a long-lasting commitment.
According to Peter Bustin and Stephen T Elman of Cornell university, most people prefer having a partner that shares similar characteristics to them. So, while it can be fun for a short while, in the long run, you are more likely to gravitate towards people who are similar to you.
2. Drifting apart from family or friends
Do you know a family member who is estranged from their child oftentimes? These parents end up carrying a sense of shame, stress, and feeling of isolation. Once they are older even if it happened many years ago, estrangement can still affect both members today.
Sometimes even impacts their mental well-being in the long run. For these relationships, reconciliation and forgiveness may help resolve the issue and overcome the negative feelings they may have for each other. But it only works if both parties reciprocate it.
3. Not expressing your emotions
Like many, you may think your biggest regret will be a failed career path or a lack of financial foresight however in actuality most people’s biggest regrets tend to fall in a more emotional nature, such as not being present with their family.
Many elderly find that it may be too late to show their genuine feelings of love and affection especially when the opportunity has already passed.
4. Worrying too much about the past
Do other people say that you’re always stuck in the past? You might believe that getting older automatically means moving on from everything in the past but it is not always the case. As long as you spend all your time worrying and ruminating over past mistakes and missed opportunities you will always find yourself stuck and unable to move on.
However, this does not mean that you stop talking about the past altogether. According to the American psychological association, reminiscing and communicating about positive events from the past can improve an elderly person’s psychological well-being. So, while, it is good to talk about the good old days of your friends and family, it is equally important to look at the present and think of the future.
5. Being untruthful far too long
Being untruthful doesn’t only mean lying to other people. You may also lie to yourself as well justifying your thoughts and beliefs in something that at your core doesn’t reflect your values or innermost state at all.
This can go for ages without even realizing it and even if you do, it may be too late for you to make an impactful difference.
6. Not taking care of your body
Are you in your 20s to 30s? This is usually the age where you feel invincible at least physically. However, your body will naturally slow down. After that time, if it is not cared for sending your youth without keeping a good diet, doing exercise, and having enough sleep can accelerate this aging process.
Older adults who don’t sleep well for instance are more likely to suffer from mental health issues like depression and develop problems with attention and memory.
7. No exploring your career
Have you ever thought about opening up a business after school but shrugged it? Aside from fleeting pleasures, or perhaps your career path was so busy and while paying that you justified staying even when it meant not spending any time with your family and friends or being able to explore the things you are passionate about.
Not exploring your career options whether it is because of a high payout or a lack of intrinsic self-worth may end up leaving you wondering, what if when you are older.
8. Not traveling
Do you get to travel often? Many of the elderly often regret not traveling and seeing the world. They may have lacked the resources and the opportunity when they were younger and lack the energy when they are older.
Apart from being able to see the world traveling also has many benefits for your mental health such as improving your mental power helping you stay calm and widening your perspectives.
9. Working too hard
How much time do you spend working? Overworking is one of the most universal regrets for people later in life. According to his book, “Being the father I never had”, highly influential people like Barak Obama had expressed regret for not being there for his little girls due to work.
The common pattern these people share is the lack of time they gave towards the people they cared about like their family and friends.
10. Not living your true self
Do you hide parts of yourself to fit in with people? If so, you may find that the more successful your attempt at masking yourself is more lonely and isolated you end up feeling. Changing who you are and pretending to be someone else to please other people can be a source of regret later in life.
If you recognize this tendency in yourself you may want to reflect on why you feel the need to do it and how you can take the steps to start living your true self.
So, do you have any regrets after knowing these life lessons, let us know in the comment section down below. And, if you found this article about life lessons helpful, share it with someone who you think it will be helpful too. Share it with those who benefit from this article about life lessons we learn too late.