This I Believe

I believe in no regrets, just lessons learned. Everyone makes mistakes; it's a natural part of life. However, it's all about channeling those mistakes into a positive experience you can learn from. If you regret things and hold them in, you never learn, you never move on. You can't live your life dwelling on the past. I know that this can make me hypocritcal at some times, because I've said that I've regretted some things before, but now, as I look back at it, I've gained more than I've lost.
For example, I've been in relationships that I've considered regrets once it was over. But it wasn't something I regretted; it was a life lesson. They taught me to become more independent and strong-willed. They made me into the person I am today, and if I'd resented those relationships, I would have never noticed the good that came from them.
Another example is with my grades. In my first few years of high school, I slacked off. School wasn't the most important thing to me, and I didn't really care about the grades I got. The consequences I've suffered from this have taught me to take school more seriously. Now, I actually do my work and care about the grades I get, because I know that it's going to take me to a higher level of education after high school. If I continued on the path I was going on, I wouldn't have considered going to college at all, but by learning from my mistakes, I've realized how important education is, and have applied to over five four year universities.
There's no point in regretting mistakes you've made. By regretting things, you remain bitter and you never learn how to move on, but if you view them as lessons learned, you grow stronger as a person. I believe in no regrets, just lessons learned.