- Never regret anything because at one time it was exactly what you wanted. Marilyn Monroe
- I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying. Jeff Bezos (Amazon)
- “Have you ever hoped for something? And held out for it against all the odds? Until everything you did was ridiculous? ” ― Ali Shaw, The Girl With Glass Feet
- “Do not feel sad for your tears as rocks never regret the waterfalls” ― Munia Khan
- “MOTHER IS WATERI wish I couldShower your head with flowersAnd anoint your feet with my tears,For I know I have caused youSo much heartache, frustration and despair –Throughout my youthful years.I wish I could give youThe remainder of my lifeTo add to yours,Or simply eraseThe lines on your face,And mend all that has been torn.For next to God,You are the fireThat has given lightTo the flame in each of my eyes.You are the fountainThat nourished my growth,And from your chalice –Gave me life.Without the wetness of your love,The fragrance of your water,Or the trickling sounds ofYour voice,I shall always feelthirsty.” ― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem
- “Don’t live in a world of ‘I never should have’. Regret is a terrible burden to carry through life. It stoops your shoulders and keeps you looking down at the ground rather than up at the stars.” ― Mary Alice Kruesi, One Summer’s Night
- “How I wish I could undo it all … take it all back…All those years I spent unhappy with him …. when I should have been looking for you.” ― Ranata Suzuki
- “How to win in life:1 work hard 2 complain less 3 listen more 4 try, learn, grow5 don’t let people tell you it cant be done6 make no excuses” ― Germany Kent
- Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only for wallowing in. Katherine Mansfield
- The less energy we waste regretting the past or worrying about the future, the more energy we will have for what’s in front of us. Ryan Holiday (Stillness is the Key, Amazon book)
- “You were a fish in an aquarium. You went swimming in free waters with someone who turned out to be a shark, You are back in aquarium but now water is red because of your wounds. Only parasites will grow in it.Change your perspective towards your past. Accept that the shark gave you courage. Now all you need is the knowledge of self. Then you will become a swan swimming in the eternally peaceful lake.” ― Shunya
- “We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.” ― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience
- “We never regret the love we give,We regret giving it to the wrong people …” ― Samiha Totanji
- The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone. Harriet Beecher Stowe (See also: sad quotes)
- Time is one of the most under-appreciated models we all encounter, and yet it’s the most ubiquitous. When employed correctly, time becomes an amplifier. When spent without consideration, it becomes a persistent source of regret. Shane Parrish
- The pain of inaction stings longer than the pain of incorrect action. James Clear
- Bravery is the solution to regret. Robin S. Sharma
- “Some of us live in the future,Connected to hurts from our past,If tomorrow is colored by bitter regret,Then today has been painted black Some of us live in the presentConnected to gifts from our past,If tomorrow is colored by purposeful thought,the today’s masterpiece has been cast.” ― J.A. Conner
- Avoiding regret is more important to life satisfaction than increasing accomplishments. Shane Parrish
- Most failures are one-time costs. Most regrets are recurring costs. The pain of inaction stings longer than the pain of incorrect action.
- “You will find yourself with a beautiful boy and you will not want to stay in that room, with him, even though there is nothing more you can ask for in another human beingand there is nothing you can do about this.” ― Charlotte Eriksson, Everything Changed When I Forgave Myself: growing up is a wonderful thing to do
- Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, “It might have been.” Kurt Vonnegut
- “It’s very painful when circumstances don’t allow you to act as per your nature. It may force you to change your nature. If you keep shame, guilt, regret etc. away, this change can be a transformation of caterpillar into butterfly.” ― Shunya
- “That was how she had felt most of her life.Caught in the middle. Struggling, flailing, just trying to survive while not knowing which way to go. Which path to commit to without regret.” ― Matt Haig, The Midnight Library
- Minimize regrets. Maximize opportunities. Maxime Lagacé
- The fear of becoming old is born of the recognition that one is not living now the life that one wishes. Susan Sontag
- “Desperateness sometimes makes us do something that gives someone, or some people, the impression that we suffer from forgetfulness.” ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana
- It’s not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Seneca
- It takes a certain lack of imagination to have an entirely clean conscience. Alain de Botton
- “You were a fish in an aquarium. You went swimming in free waters with someone who turned out to be a shark, You are back in aquarium but now water is red because of your wounds. Only parasites will grow in it.Change your perspective towards your past. Accept that the shark gave you courage. Now all you need is the knowledge of self. Then you will become a swan swimming in the eternally peaceful lake.” ― Shunya