Life
People Are Sharing Their Biggest Regrets & It's Oddly Inspiring
In theory, "no regrets" is a great life mantra — but in practice, the older you get, the easier it is to look back and think, wow, I wish I'd known that sooner. This might contradict everything Drake once taught us about YOLO, but if you ask me, having regrets in life isn't necessarily a bad thing: it simply means that you're now older and wiser, and lament that you didn't always have access to the knowledge you've gained over the years. Regrets can come in a lot of different forms — big or small, silly or serious, painful or carefree — but whatever your regrets in life, you shouldn't be ashamed of them... because everyone else has them, too.
Recently, Twitter users made that fact abundantly clear: using the hashtag #IWishIWouldHaveLearned, people shared some of the things they regret never learning (or learning much too late) in life. From tap dancing to flirting to folding a fitted sheet, it's apparent that none of us are born knowing or being naturally great at everything — and that's OK. Just remember that whatever your regrets may be, you shouldn't let them control how you live your life now, and it's never too late to give things another shot.
Here are 13 tweets that prove we all have at least one regret in life.
1How To Recognize A Toxic Person
Figuring out what a toxic person is, then learning to recognize them in your own life, is a skill that's seriously underrated — because no one can thrive if they're surrounded by negativity and toxicity.
2Getting Enough Sleep Is Important
Note to self: going to bed at 2 a.m. every night pretty much only works in college.
3Not Everyone's Heart Is In The Right Place
One sad lesson that you learn as you get older? Not everyone is kind and pure of heart — so watch out for anyone who might try to take advantage of your kind nature.
4Folding Fitted Sheets Is Impossible
If by folding you mean "wadding up into a ball and shoving in my closet," then I am great at folding fitted sheets.
5Being Yourself Is Key
When you finally realize that there's no shame in being your weird or awkward self, it's an incredibly freeing feeling.
6It's OK To Ask For Help When You Need It
It's so important to learn how to ask for help when you need it, because no one should ever feel like they have to do or experience everything on their own with no support.
7Accepting Compliments Is As Important As Giving Them
Giving compliments might be second nature for some people, but it's just as important to learn how to accept a compliment — because everyone deserves to genuinely feel loved and appreciated by those around them.
8Always Trust Your Gut
Learning how to trust your gut takes time, but you should be confident in your own intuition and never make a decision that's giving you pause.
9Don't Waste Time On Anyone Who Doesn't Appreciate You
Instead of wasting your time pining over someone who doesn't really value you, empower yourself to say "on to the next one," and then never settle for someone who doesn't care about you.
10Don't Get Discouraged When Bad Things Happen
In life, it's inevitable that bad things will happen to all of us at some point. But instead of letting those bad moments inform your entire perception of life, it's important to still keep pushing forward and find joy wherever you can.
11Flirting Is Easier Said Than Done
It might sound silly, but there's a serious art to good flirting — and not everyone is born with that gift.
12Think Before You Speak
One piece of excellent communication advice? Any time you're heated or emotional, take a moment to calm down and collect your thoughts before communicating — because thinking before you speak can seriously improve how you interact with others.
13You Can't Put 'Fluent In Pig Latin' On Your Resume
The good news? It's never too late to learn another language — but it might be prudent to pick one that's a little more practical than Pig Latin.
Whatever your regrets in life are, all you can do is own them confidently, learn from your mistakes, and keep working to make sure that the next chapter is even better than the last.
