Often we are faced with difficult choices that determine the course of life. If we are not equipped with knowledge or background, we will most likely be caught in the wrong choice.
If so, regret is inevitable. Although it is a natural thing to happen in life, but in reality not everyone can come to terms with it or even know how to deal with it.
Maybe only a handful of people can deal with it well. Like those who have intelligence, for example. Smart people usually have awareness in good thinking so they don't get stuck in things that make them stuck.
So, how do intelligent people deal with the regrets that arise in them? Compiled from Very Well Mind, here's the review.
Practice Self-Acceptance
The first thing intelligent people do is acknowledge and accept those feelings as important. Because by realizing and recognizing your own feelings, you can recognize that your value is not determined by mistakes or failures.
Accepting yourself also means that you can recognize that in life you are always learning, changing, and growing. What happened in the past does not always determine the future. You can still make the best choices in the future, really.
Forgiving Yourself
SummerIllustration of regret. (Photo: pexels.com/Liza Summer)
Once there is a stage of self-acceptance, usually intelligent people will forgive themselves. Forgiving yourself means letting go of any anger, hatred, or disappointment you feel about yourself.
So, rather than punishing themselves for their mistakes, intelligent people will treat themselves with the same kindness and forgiveness as they do their loved ones.
I am sorry
In addition to forgiving themselves, intelligent people will also apologize to others, who may also be affected during their regret phase. This is especially important when feelings of remorse center on conflict in the relationship or other issues that are causing emotional distress.
Aries afraid of feeling lonely Illustration of regret. (Photo: pexels.com/Valeria Ushakova)
Intelligent people know that a sincere apology can let the other person know that they are sorry for what happened.
Take action
Getting past regrets will allow intelligent people to use the experience to take good action in the future. They will consider what they may have changed and do differently.
However, rather than dwelling on the things that cannot be changed, intelligent people choose to reframe circumstances as opportunities to learn to make better choices in the future.
Reframing
Reframing the situation is one of the smart people's strategies to change their mindset and change the way they think about a situation. This can help them change their perspective, show compassion for themselves, and validate the emotions they're feeling.
You can also practice this method so that you can see the situation in a more positive way and overcome some of the distractions that cause negative thoughts.