A Few Thoughts on Regret and Change

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain

I wanted to share this quote because it is one that I heard a long time ago and has always been inspiring to me.  I've always thought that you cannot regret the things you have done, because they have taught you something.  Only the things that you didn't do are regretable.  Thankfully, that is something you can change. 

Growing up, my dad always subscribed to National Geographic.  In fact, he still does.  He has always loved learning about different places and different cultures, but had never been out of the country.  I know that there are so many places that he would love to visit, but he's held back by the fear that it's new, and he's never done it before.  Last month, he joined us on our trip to Roatan.  It really opened his eyes to traveling, and the potentially life-altering consequences (in a good way!) of it.  I hope he catches the bug and joins us on our next trip, or even better, suggests a new place to visit.

I grew up with the idea that change is bad, scary.  Better to just go with the flow, stay safe.  The thing about the fear of change, is that in the long run, change is unavoidable.  No one is ever going to live their life, from beginning to end, without a couple of curve-balls thrown their way.  If you can't roll with the punches, you're going to be in big trouble!

I see this resistance to change at work all the time.  Since I work in a huge corporation that's been around for a while, I work with people who have been with the company for a long time.  Ones who have been in their positions for many years.  Anytime we try to introduce a new process, even if it makes their job easier and more efficient, it's like pulling teeth to try to get them to utilize it.  They're so stuck in the ways that it's "always been done" that they can't see that the new way is faster and easier.  It's terribly frustrating.

I never want to be that person who believes that change is bad.  It's not, it's just different.  I like different, it's way more interesting than the same.

P.S. Back to that quote at the top, thinking about incorporating that into the new and upcoming blog, what do you think?  "Throwing Off the Bowlines" maybe?