No Regrets

A few months ago, my girlfriends and I took a trip to Tampa. For all of us, it was much needed relief from day to day life. We laughed. We talked. We ate. We drank. We had a blast! In the midst of our time together, we committed to move on from our pasts. Inspired by the title of our songbird 's debut album "No Regrets", we chose that weekend to let go of our own (follow her +myochimusic, download off iTunes, add her station on Pandora).

To commemorate this release we had a reflection time to write down all the things we regretted about our past. Afterward, we said them aloud, burned them to the ground, and affirmed that they were gone. The next day, we sealed the deal by getting matching tattoos that simply read, "No Regrets". It. Was. AWESOME!

It made me think about how much of that stuff was really weighing on me, sometimes without me even knowing. I was being bound by the memories. I was still trying to shake some of guilt. I was holding myself in a lowly space by still beating myself up or pitying myself or allowing myself to relive each moment of the bad times, reviving negative emotions and inviting in dangerous energy. As corny or serious or even cult-like as this event may sound, it was one of the fondest friendship memories we've created. All of us felt a little lighter, walked a little taller, and renewed ourselves.

How many of you have regrets? You know, the legitimate kind. That thing you did. That guy you loved. That lady you got pregnant. That job you stayed at too long. The parent you haven't forgiven. The friend you betrayed. The feelings you hurt. The hearts you failed to mend. That kind of regret...

If you do, here is a bit of encouragement. In Phillippians 3:13 Paul encourages us to "forget what is behind" and to "strain toward what is ahead". It's hard to move forward if we are held back by the past. A car can't drive to the next destination if it's stuck in reverse. The same rule applies to life. We have to do everything in our power to release the negativity of our past. But, those strongholds can be very hard to shake. There will even be times that we think we've overcome them and they creep back up, resurfacing at the most inopportune moments.

It's a process. It won't happen over night. But it WILL happen. Commit to it. Invite God into it. Make  a choice to fight past it. And on those off days you find yourself giving into it, forgive yourself... because God already has. He doesn't hold on to our transgressions, we do. Therefore, it's up to us to ask for His help. So, go ahead. Let go. Live with no regrets. And be abundantly blessed. XOXO