#5 Taken a Chance

Take every chance. Drop every fear. Sounds like the ideal way to live, doesn't it? Well I think that's easier said than done especially as a teenager. Regret is a common emotion for a teenager, with some exceptions of course. It obviously is for me since the theme of this very blog is things I should've done. I don't necessarily think that regret is a bad thing, though. I think regret can help us live better in the future. By thinking about the things you should've done, you prevent yourself from making those same mistakes again. I recently took a chance in my life. It really was no huge deal, but it made me feel bold. It was something I wouldn't normally do, and I think that's what made it so cool. Even still, there are things I wish I would've done. (But you'll hear about those later.) Think about something you wish you would've taken a chance on. I've spent a long time wishing that I had taken a chance. While I wish I had, I've accepted the regret that came with it. That regret made me want to take that small chance a few days ago. Like I said, regret is a part of life (with some exceptions of course), so we may as well embrace it and learn to use it to make us the person we want to be. Turn regret into satisfaction. Sure, regret may sound like a girly emotion, but boys regret things too! So girls, don't worry. It comes in many forms, and people experience it in different ways, regardless of gender. I asked some of my friends - boys and girls - what they regret not taking a chance on. I was surprised not only to hear their responses, but also at the fact that they were pretty similar for both genders. From the girls I got regrets about boys and relationships and trying out new things at school, and from the boys I got regrets about girls and relationships and trying out new things at school. I was shocked at how similar we are. They may say that men are from Mars and women are from Venus, but I actually think we're a lot more alike than we thought. Here are some of the things they said:

"I wish I would've accepted the date from the shy one instead of declining, because I gave up the chance at a great relationship."

"I wish I would've just told them how I feel about them."

"I wish I would've asked them to a dance before senior year."

"I wish I would've fully appreciated my first kiss instead of thinking the entire time "This is awkward, this is awkward. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."


"I wish I would've said exactly what I felt when I felt it."

"I wish I would've gone out for sports or for the play. I've always been scared."

"I wish I would've handled my relationships better. You see a person that you could've had with someone else and they seem so happy, and all you think is 'That could've been us.'"

"I wish I would've tried out for sports in general."

"I wish I would've just taken a chance and not been embarrassed."

"I wish I would've been more outgoing throughout my life. Until this year, I was never the first to volunteer for anything because I was afraid people would make fun of me for whatever reason. I've gotten over it and this is the happiest I've ever been. I just wish I'd realized it sooner."

"I wish I would've played a sport or taken singing lessons."

"I wish I would've stuck with a journal."

"I wish I would've not been so scared to try things. Sometimes I make excuses because I think I'm not good enough."

So can you tell which ones are girls and which ones are boys? Yeah, most of them I can't tell either. Regret is an emotion that most teenagers possess. It is not specific to gender. It does not discriminate. It is not necessarily a bad thing either because it can teach you to just take chances in the future. Just take the chance. Jump in with both feet. In twenty years, you'll be more disappointed by what you didn't do than by what you did.