The ending of anything is a time that can call for reflection and reviewing. This can cause a lot of emotions to surface.
Regret is a gnawing emotion that can eat at you. It comes about when the turnout of an event wasn’t what we wanted due to the decisions or actions we took. We end up stuck with moments that we are not proud of – instances where we wished we had acted differently.

I believe regrets usually emanate more from the things that we’re unable to do than the things we do. 
In Brené Brown’s book ‘Atlas of the Heart’ , her research revealed that in the short-term,  we tend to regret outcomes where we took action. However, in the long term, we’re most affected by the things we couldn’t do or the actions we were unable to take.

Regret, though uncomfortable, can be a tool for change when used properly. It pushes us to yearn for growth.
An action can be so great that, in some instances, it can’t be undone, and the most we can do is to apologise and take accountability for them.

Other times too, the window of an opportunity might still be opened, which can allow us to make amends or do something we couldn’t do. This seems easy but not so much because we tend to feel that “it’s too late” or fear the response. I believe that if the window is still opened, we can make amends rather than wondering for years what would have happened if we had.

I’ve observed that times I have regretted most are failures of courage – instances where I failed to be honest, reach out, show kindness towards people, and myself. I’ve also regretted moments where I’ve violated my own boundaries.

Regrets on previous missed opportunities shouldn’t stop us from acting differently now.
“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now”.