There are many things in the world that we can get back. We can change our minds and reverse our decisions. But there are also things that we cannot get back and can never truly find once they are lost. Let’s see what they are and how we can avoid losing them in the first place. Gratitude, presence, and focus on what is important can help us make better choices and feel less regret in the future.
Time
The first thing we can never get back is time. Out of all of these, time is the one that is most important in this regard. We all have a limited supply of time and we know it, and yet often we let time go by unimpeded, doing nothing to enjoy or take advantage of each day.
Time is as valuable as our money, and often investing to save ourselves time is worth it, even if this requires more financial resources. We need to be aware that we are not going to be able to just have endless amounts of time to do what we want and should seize the moment whenever we can. Time goes by and never gets back, so we should strive to make the best we can of each day.
Opportunities
Some opportunities might be repeated, if you are very, very lucky. But often not taking a chance means that it is gone forever. Opportunities are not easy to come by: the chance to do something new or take a risk might not come again.
This doesn’t mean you should take every opportunity that comes your way. Don’t take a job you don’t really want or join a project that fails to inspire you. Don’t take every opportunity that comes your way, just make sure that you take every one that is worth it. Say yes when you want to. But you can measure every opportunity against the chance that it will never come again: how valuable is it to you and how important it would be to say yes?
Words that have been spoken
Things cannot be unsaid. Once we say something unforgivable, it will be there forever. The other person might let it go, but we will always know what we have said and it can hang there, between us.
Especially when we are angry, we might go too far. But once we have said something, it is likely to haunt our relationship with this person. They might wonder if it is something we truly think and we can face the shame and guilt of hurting others. It’s important to moderate our words and be on guard when we are especially mad.
Trust
Trust takes time to build, but can be destroyed easily and quickly. A careless word or action might damage how other people see us and what they are willing to share with us. It’s important to keep in mind that our actions impact the way in which others see us.
Trust, once damaged, is not easily repaired. Even if it does get repaired, the relationship might never be quite the same. We need to treat each relationship carefully and consider the potential consequences of our actions. Trust is not something easily given and easily earned.
What you are living now
It’s not just about being judicious with your time and careful with how you spend it. It’s also about valuing your current experiences. Whatever you are going through now, it will not be repeated. You can never get back to the present exactly as it is now, with all the good and bad things it has.
We might not love it all about our situation. Often, we even spend time waiting for it to be over and a new stage of our lives to begin. We are only waiting for something better to begin. But this means that we miss out on all the things, experiences, and learning that this present time can offer us.
It’s important to find moments in the present to cherish and try to be fully engaged in the here and now. We might be anticipating the future, but if we let go of what is happening now, it will never come back.
