You're Not Missing Out
If you often feel burdened by regret or just overwhelmed by the idea that you've missed out on life, this is for you.
Your life is like a song being performed before a grand audience. You are the one performing and even when you miss a beat, a lyric or your step, God the grand conductor and concert director continues to play the beat and direct the rest of the orchestra. If he hasn't stopped giving signals and showing his hands here and there, it is because our song in his ears still has a beautiful tune.
You may think you've lost something or an apportunity, you also need to acknowledge that you've gained somethings. You've gain experience, with hindsight, you've gained knowledge on how not to, you've gained valuable life lessons and in some cases some tangible material things too. Minus 1 plus 1 brings us back to our state of equilibrium. It's not all losses. The fact that we expect life to always be a long series of wins is the reason we're frustrated because real life is hardly that way. We win some and lose some. We fall and then rise. Victory here, defeat there. Nothing is ever in a permanent consistent state. You feel bad right now. But yes it is just a feeling. It isn't real. Feelings are fickle. Gratitude over what's going well will help you feel much better.
Imagine you have a party to be at. You've glammed up for your event and you're super excited. However as you set out, your car broke down. You managed to fix it and got back on your way again. Then after a while you missed your turn. However because you have a GPS it recalibrated and redirected you but not without adding 30 minutes to the trip you already feel late to. Nevertheless you continued your journey still.
When you got to the event, you realised things didn't start early. You met the party half way. Food hadn't been served yet therefore you got your portion of jollof and small chops. You then quickly joined the celebrant on the dance floor and you danced. You saw your friends and you all merried and had a good time. In that instant you won't remember you were late. The way you feel at the party isn't the same way you felt whilst still on the road. This is how our lives are. We often forget that God continues to hold the party in ransom for us and that our GPS will always recalibrate and bring us to where we are meant to be.
If you keep reminding yourself that your jollof is still ahead, that your party is never over until you arrive, that you may be late but you haven't missed out on life because God is holding everything in pattern for you, then you'll feel better.
It will take a while but yes, practising gratitude in the mean time will help your mind stay calm. It will help you recover fast from the grief of what you've lost. While you're in that car on your way, sing songs of worship, fill your heart with gratitude for the things that are going OK, make notes and remind yourself often why you're not missing out.
We're all where we should be.