Fear and Regret rob us of a Brilliant Future
Posted by Louise on Feb 24, 2010
Inspirational Phrases and quotations often manage to express a concept succinctly and powerfully. Today’s Inspirational Phrase deals with the concepts of fear and regret. There are two sides to the fear coin: fear can compel us to make unimaginable leaps in order to avoid some feared outcome. Fear can also hold us back, prevent us from taking rational, logical steps out of fear of consequences. Fear is truly a double-edged sword. Regret keeps us focused on the past, and allowing us to get stuck there, at the expense of building a better future.
I identify strongly with this inspirational phrase by Fulton Oursler (1893 – 1952), American journalist, author and playwright:
“Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves – regret for the past and fear of the future”
His Christ-on-the-cross metaphor stems from his Christian perspective. Nonetheless, it is easy to visualise the pain of being in a horrendous situation and finding both choices for action equally unappealing. On the left (our past) hangs regret and on the right (our future) hangs an equally daunting spectre: fear.
I am not much of a regret personality. I have few regrets.
Fear, however, has a greater hold on my imagination. I fear what my life will be like when my mother’s Alzheimer’s progresses and she is 100% dependent upon me. I fear the consequences of not selling our heritage home in Ireland. These fears grip me and I get sucked in by their power. Just like a bar of creamy, luxurious chocolate, I never stop at just one square, I have to go the whole hog. So it is with fear, even a tiny taste of this treacherous emotion and we dive right in. Worst case scenarios are played out and feel terrifyingly real.
Who wants to live with fear and regret? Fortunately we humans are in a position to reflect. Both fear and regret are intangibles. They are merely the product of our imagination. Terrifying and debilitating emotions if we give in to them. I can condition my mind to be disciplined enough to recognise this evil duo for what they are: figments of my imagination.
Mr Oursler’s inspirational phrase is quite accurate: cultivating fear and regret will rob us of the motivation, courage and vision to move forwards in joy and trust towards a brilliant future.
