But then again, too few to mention

Information comes in from many directions, of course,  and angles these days. This week, in my novel reading, my work life and in social media land, a common information thread emerged. And that's the thread of regret.

Regret seems to be something capable of crippling a life, in that a person carrying a deep regret may spend much time and mental effort dealing with that regret. Time and effort spent on regret is time and effort diverted away from other aspects of life. Aspects including tending important relationships, self- reflection, paid employment and leisure pursuits.

Regrets come, of course, in many shapes and sizes. We may regret our lack of foresight when failing to purchase milk yesterday. However, we may be torn asunder by regrets of larger significance. Failing to express our love adequately to a friend who dies, for example, before they die. Or entering into a relationship kept secret from a partner. Or recognising that your children have grown up in your absence. These are common biggies. The regrets that can "keep us up at night," as the saying goes.

Another common regret is of getting trapped in the rat race. Feeling trapped in a job you dislike because you think you need the money it pays to service a mortgage you can't really afford on a house you don't really like. A common regret here is over a loss of freedom. And a loss of creative expression.

But whether our regret is big or small, our fault or not, one common positive viewpoint I've noticed is this: regrets can be overcome. The secret to overcoming regret seems to be firstly to acknowledge that the regret is real. And then, to tackle it head on. That is, to realise that I, as a sufferer of regret, am not a victim. Instead, I realise that I am capable of changing the circumstances of my life, and then choosing to act.

This brings me to a celebrated speech given by Theodore Roosevelt in 1910 in France, called "citizenship in a republic." The full speech to university leavers can be read here. The thrust of the effort though, is in recognising that we are all players here. We are, all of us, actors on this stage. We can all act for good. It is within all of us.

We can all choose to be Roosevelt's "man in the arena." It is actually possible , like James Rhodes, to pursue our dreams. Even when doing so is tough and scary. Especially when doing so is tough and scary. There are many among us who do this every day. And they should be congratulated. Congratulations!