Photography by Rebecca Carpenter
There are two wasted emotions in this world - guilt and regret. In hindsight, there are many things in life I often wish I could change. I sometimes wish I'd had a more witty comback in an argument I'd had when I was 17. Sometimes I wish I had powered through and gone to an event that I felt too tired to go to. But after all is said and done, everything I've ever done and every decision I've ever made has led me to where I am today.
Sometimes I find myself getting so stressed out because I made a poor decision, whether it be around relationships, business or anything else. But really, regretting them only gives me more sadness now, so why bother worrying about them?
So, here are 4 things in my life that I really don't regret, even if maybe it looks like I should.
1. My past romantic relationships.
I think everyone has a relationship or two where they think, "Oh dear lord, what was I thinking?!" For me, this is most definitely the case. I've had a lot of people ask me if I regret spending four years of my life with someone who really wasn't right for me, but I have never really felt a sense of loss for those years. If I hadn't gone through what I went through then I would never have realised what I truly wanted from a partner. I never would have met my fiancé. And if I had to go through it all again, knowing that Tom was at the end of it all, I 100% would.
2. Not attending my first choice university.
Originally, when I applied for university, my first choice was Nottingham. I visited it and absolutely fell head over heels for it. I knew from the moment I stepped foot there that it was where I wanted to be...until my application was declined...twice. In the moment I was absolutely devastated. I couldn't even comprehend the thought of attending anywhere else and it felt like what I had my heart set on was completely destroyed.
You may know I ended up going to Sussex; a university much closer to home in Brighton. Every day I am so glad I went there instead because I honestly think living so far from home would have been far too hard for me. I probably would have left Nottingham without a degree, and it would have all been a waste in the end. When one door closes, another one opens, as they say.
3. Being 'weird' at school.
I've always been young for my age, but when I attend secondary school I was seriously young for my age. While other girls were growing into makeup and magazines, I still wanted to play unicorns and watch Disney movies. And this was back in 2006! I can't imagine what it must be like now for children entering secondary school with all the pressures of technology. Looking back, I know I was different. People made fun of me and I didn't have a solid group of friends until much later, but I'm glad I was weird. It was me and I was never afraid to embrace who I wanted to be.
4. Not drinking and partying.
You may or may not know that I don't really drink alcohol and so as a result the whole idea of the 'party lifestyle' has never been for me. Even when I went to university, going out on the town was just something I avoided. I often had people tell me, "You'll regret not going out when you look back!" and if I'm honest, I never have. Working while at uni and saving all the money I would have spent on alcohol helped me on the way to saving for my house. So even if I may have missed a bit of gossip or something crazy happening down on the beach one night, I've never felt bad about staying in and watching Netflix.
Is there anything in your life you don't regret doing? x
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