If I Had My Life to Live Over Again
In today’s world everything is done at lightening speed. We spend so much time working and trying to provide for our families that sometimes the really important stuff gets lost along the way. It’s not often we fully allow ourselves to pause and actually live in the moment let alone reflect on life. All too often time passes so quickly that one day we wake up and ponder things we may have done differently.
The question of, “If I Had My Life to Live Over Again What Would I Do Differently?” was asked to the Senior Chatters community. Thanks to all those members who replied to this month’s question. Lot’s of really interesting answers which are shared below.
Please have a read and make sure your leave a comment with your thoughts below…
Interesting, I can’t change my ex husband as I wouldn’t have my beautiful kids. But maybe I would have divorced him sooner instead of sticking it out for 36 years. We get on better now than when we were married but live 200 miles apart. I always wanted to be a nurse but wasn’t encouraged to do so by my mother and father. Instead left school and got a job in an office learning all the aspects of bought ledger! So I wish I had stuck up for myself and become a nurse. I eventually worked in a doctor’s as a medical secretary and also turned my hand to phlebotomy so I got a little taste of nursing. I think instead of us upgrading to a bigger house which we did not need, I wished we had bought a holiday home in Spain or Italy. I am happy now and living by the sea with a dog and also my gorgeous grandson lives with me and attending college.
If I could change my life again, I don’t think I would change anything. You plot your own course. So from being born life is in your hands. For better or worse. Hope I haven’t offended anyone, just my thoughts.
Interesting question. I could be positive or negative depending on how I feel. Here goes. Save my money. Be careful who you trust. (2 marriages). Value good health.
I think I would have liked to marry my second serious girlfriend. The first one was the envy of many men and too hot. I’m sure she would be running around on me all the time.
In the context of occupations, I think I would have changed mine from the heavy dirty engineering (fitting) work to the more home adaptable electrical and electronic engineering. I think the latter lends itself to being used more in the home and also as a sideline for extra income. As for married life, and kids – no change…
This sort of question makes you truly look back! I know now that my fear of the unknown (and of looking a fool) meant I missed out on a lot of things. If I could start again I would face those fears and embrace life.
I got married right out of high school and was married 33 years and have two wonderful children. My husband passed away in 93 at 52 and I have never dated anyone since then. I guess now looking back I should have found someone to spend the rest of my life with, but now at 75 I think I am very happy with my life.
I would not have taken abuse from my first husband for 9 years, before becoming strong enough to divorce him. We are all worth more than that , even the other way around , some men are abused too.
If I lived my life again I would definitely change a few things. These things would be how I handled certain situations. I left England to go to Spain at 24. I married at 25, completely in love. My husband turned out to be a possessive dictator. I stayed with him for 20 years – I would change that. The rest of my life has been has been an economical struggle, it has been fun, it has taught me to fend for myself. I have learned two languages. I have met some interesting people. I have worked in interesting places. I have two wonderful children. I am translating a book for an artist friend, just to help out and keep me busy, no pay. My suitcase is filled with interesting memories. So, as I mentioned before, I would handle a few things a little differently.
I think i would have cared more for my parents I was carer 2 both since i was 12 yrs old but didntdo as much as i feel i should have looking back both died youngand had not much of a life apart for their love 4 each other which led me in2 nursinglooking back we trìed to live life as beßt we coulď that was mèant as (best) i thank Ģod 4 every day i have
Not much- I lived my life my way because who I am – I think I would have to change me. I would have liked to speak a language other than english fluently and play a musical instrument- but tried and it didn’t take.
i can think of things I would change, and things I wouldn’t. I know that if I did change anything, I wouldn’t be the same persons I am today. I’m pretty happy being that person, so I’d elect to leave the past as is.
if I could live my life again I would put more money into my 401k. Other than that my life was great. Gained a lot of knowledge, helped a lot of people.
I would spend more time serving the Lord. He has blessed me so much here on the farm and all through my life. Today I lack for nothing and have a great second wife to help. I know well the Lord who gives us things can also take away
Absolutely nothing!
I Would like to have travelled like the younger one do today. Otherwise hindsight is a wonderful thing, lol,there are a few things I should not have done, but hey, they have made me the person I am today, contented.
I would of never taken up smoking; I would look after my health more plus lead a healthier lifestyle; made appointments with the dentist for regular check-ups; never got married; not have had children, just worked for me to become wealthy; travel more see the world, experience different cultures, look good, lose weight, be successful, do not live in the past. Learn from every experience as lessons learn them and move on, try not to make many mistakes learn from them.
I would stop being like Maggie out of Hobsons Choice thinking if l loved a person enough and try to be perfect for them I would be loved in return…
I hate every moment of my now life and most of it it since about 2000 when my wives care needs became so demanding and total but what could i do to change it all i would have changed is her not being ill and life would have continued to be good, I just miss have life for so long now!
I wouldn’t want to live my life again in to-day’s world and what is ahead. I am comfortable with where I am. Sure, we all do things we regret, but that is just part of life’s learning experiences. I have a wonderful family and I thank God my blessings.
If I were to live my life again I would experience more of the world through travel, I wouldn’t have children then my mind would be free of worrying about them….i would have learnt not to take life so seriously and live in the moment, in my youth i would have decided on a career in art and design and given it my all, but unfortunately the wisdom and knowledge comes with age and experiences, so i would have needed that when young to know what i know now, back to the future, need a rewind…
A few little tweaks here and there but I have had a wonderful life. I would have paid more attention to my wife’s needs, wishes, dreams.
If I had my life again I would not spend a fortune smoking for 20 years and I would have chosen a different career – unfortunately I only found out late in life how much I enjoyed Employment Law and wished I had taken that up as a career. As Twilight above said, wisdom comes with age and experience, so true.
I would not have married the man I did and I would have continued on to nursing school and then if marriage was in my future I would married much later in life. The blessing in all of this I have 3 wonderful children.
I would avoid those ‘mistakes and therefore followed a different path leading to – who knows?
I would have stayed single.
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in TopicsI would have studied home design. Overall I’m OK with the way things turned out, as Starlette said, wisdom comes with age and experience.
mmmm???? well that would depend, on whether we could start today and work backwards, or whether we had to start from birth and work towards today. It would make a world of difference to me. If I could choose, I would opt for starting from today.
I would change very little. I think when I came to that path in the woods I tended to take the right one. I do wish I could play a tune on an instrument, any instrument. I wish I could speak French a lot better. I don’t have a lot of money to my name but I’m happy. I could always buy even more books, paint and sculpt more often. There’s always time if you want to make it!
I think those who would change very little are very fortunate. I disagree with Pete52, that from birth your life is in your hands, because I would have to say I would have a different father. Distruction of self-confidence and of any feeling of self-worth cannot be repaired.
Without going into details
when we were in our ’40’s my wife said to me ‘
I can forgive but I can never forget’
Now aged 88 and widowed shortly after our diamond anniversary
I can never change what happened ,but only live with the regret that I
made such a lovely woman unhappy for the rest of her life
Awwww sad to read that……..now I don’t know the details and have no wish to, but im kinda thinking your wife wouldn’t have stayed with you for all those years if she had been desperately unhappy…….she may have reminded you now and again about your misdemeanour’s as women do…lol………but I like to think she was pretty happy and content with you……
Reading the comments here, I see things people wished they had done. Some of them you can do now! I started writing at 40, and love every minute. I do so many things that have been self-taught; sometimes I think that a person is his/her own best teacher. It becomes a “custom fit” for that person.
There are many events I would love to re-experience, but many I wouldn’t. Someone posed the question once, “If you could live your life over, but COULDN’T change a thing, would you?” I would say, “H*LL, NO!”
Would be nice to be able to agree or disagree with comments but interesting with regards what or if I could change anything
Sorry just realised one can reply to comments. Please disregard my comments my home brew is better than I thought lol
As a new member to seniors I wish to say that reading this page is not very good reading. My first thoughts [while having my home brew on a saturday night] was very depressing. OK we have all made mistakes, me more than others but I always renenber you spend a little time in the crematorium and even longer in the cemetary, before we go there make the most of what we have now live the life hard for some I know but TRY. nite all xxxx
rhoss, you are right about living with regret, but on the other hand, some regrets can make us wiser as we go forward.
No good having regrets about the past you can’t change it so go forward never look back it won’t do any good just be happy you only come this way once enjoy instead of beating yourself up and having regrets
You can’t change the family you were born into. Alcohol was the demon that separated 5 children from their parents. We all lived in the same house but with little communication (or any of substance) and we didn’t get advice or encouragement growing up. I wish that I had more knowledge of the disrupting power of alcohol back then. I wanted to be a psychologist, and one of my brothers wanted to be a school teacher, but our main course of action was leaving school and getting a job and leaving home. And once we had a job, our dreams disappeared. The 5 of us all coped in our own ways. I would love to go back and make some changes that would have allowed us to reach our goals. I only mentioned one brother as I do not speak or see my other siblings for various reasons. Life has been tough, but I have survived.
I so agree. Alcohol and drugs continue to tear many families apart, as they did mine. Leaving home was priority #1 for me. I eventually reached my goals the best I could. If there was one thing I could change, it would be following others’ advice instead of my own heart.
I agree on that one Jess, alcohol and drugs. Just think how well you done for yourself now. You must be proud of yourself…
Best and hardest decision I ever had to make was to cut those people out of my life.
Thanks, grandma. Your comment touched me deeply
Well its the truth Jess, you come out of it all doing well for yourself and didnt give up xx
Not sure, I have a pint of my home brew every night befor bed and enjoy as for drugs that is very much a no no. I do not even take paracetamol unlessit it is very urgent, about 4 a year. But people are different and re act in different ways
It is so cruel the power that alcohol and drugs have on families, and how so many lives are ruined by it. We did okay jessamyne – take care xoxo
We did, didn’t we. thank you, foreveryoung xxoo
I have enjoyed reading all the comments and hope to be part of this community. I am very new to chatting on line and need to find my way around. I hope to make many friends on line in the future.
Welcome, Tasmin! This is a great site. Hope you enjoy!
welcome Jas, I too am new
First – I would have stayed and found a job in New Brunswick instead of listening to my high school friend and come to Ontario.
Second – Would have listened and done everything my Mum and Dad told me.
Third – Would never got married.
Fourth – Would have done everything and anything I wanted.
Fifth – Would have tried to never have any regrets.
Sixth – Would have lived my life.
Ya, I know……didn’t do any of the above right. 🙂
ha ha why be different to everyone else
If i was given another chance at life i would probably copy this one. yes, i have some regrets, but all in all it has been a good life. I would only have one request, that this life would go by much slower. i am in “the winter” of my life now and still enjoying this life. i hope it’s a long winter….
Hi, do I see someone swimming from Dropby?
I lived with my girlfriend for 10 years
We got married 7 years ago and it’s the
Best thing I have ever done
Life is so good, so never give up
If I could make one single in change in the way I lived my life, it would be to be in charge of my own security. I always looked to my parents or husband to create a more secure future for me. Women should be active in their planning for retirement and I gave it far too little thought.
This is so true , I feel the same x
I probably agree here, the government change the goal posts it seems at will. Jobs in the 50 seldom have pensions, the firm I worked for did not allow married women in managerial posts either
What would I do. would I have content of m life that I would change, that needs
a change??
When I look onto my life out of a retrospective view I’ll have to confess; I was to
young for the life I have lived.
I can’t count of how many times I’ve wished for myself of being 20 years older, old
enough of being a real help for my parents and not a burden (( in a positive way. From the end of WWW2 1945 till the time we left Eastern Europe in 1947 my father
was a German enemy in the eyes of ther Russian soldiers that needs to be
executed. But he and we have survived thanks to Gods help and much, much luck.
WHen we finally reached the western part of Germany ( fall 1947 ) my father was
to weak for a new start of our live together under new circumstances. He needed
help, lots of help which I couldn’t serve him with.
Mind you we were those lucky once who have survived the war and we escaped
into a region which was controlled by the British forces in Germany.
If I would have been old enough to help my parents our live would have turned
into different directions as I presume.
Good morning Michael
What a wonderfully sad piece is your blog – It is no consolation to say that there were many others in your
situation during, and after the war ending in 1945 – the wonder of it is that you managed to survive this dreadful period and I have to wonder if I would have been able to do so.
The fact that you did survive and are with us all now is – as they say – a Blessing for all we Chatters!
Good Morning Drummer,
thank you so much for your comment. My memory goes back to 1948 more or less
vaguely I must say. Our family escapedwith more than 10,000 million other people
from eastern Germany into the rest of what Nazi-Germany was before.
Millions of people in other European countries were in the same, often even worse
situacion of living like us.
I like to cmpare our situation which farmer in the country had to face at this time,
they needed every helping hands they could get for reconstruction of their farms
and my father could have done with one head and two hands more to keep life
going on as you can imagine.
Have a wonderful weekend, Michael
Would not change anything as every experience good Ron bad makes you who you are today, life gives you lemons make lemonade ?
In reading all of your replies I could take one from there and another from this one……. My biggest regret was I always worked two or three jobs and missed out on my children growing up. I too am in the winter of my life and wish I could go back and truly enjoy every moment of their childhood. They are all awesome parents but don’t need me and I can understand why, I was always working putting food on the table but never took a vacation with them. I truly wish I could do a redo that is my wish but I couldn’t be happier for them, two Chiefs in the US Navy, one police officer, one restaurant manager, one waitress and one teacher for ECPI. They have truly blessed me with grandchildren but I wish I was more involved in their life. I try but……
If I had to live my life over again I think I would have become an architect or home builder. I have always been interested in energy conservation and love to remodel houses (I have only done two of them). I also build with Habitat for Humanity.
Yes, indeed I would change many things. But, I wonder if, had I done so, would this mean I would not be the person I am now? Undoubtedly so.
I do wish I hadn’t been so restless and instead furthered my education when I was younger. I managed to do this in 2000 but not enough and life has been far too busy to allow me to go deeply into study. I have always been impetuous, but now it is firmly under control whereas my younger self made too many mistakes by not taking the time to sit and think and plan.
Just found this site, so browsing. Life may have been smoother had I known what I know now but it may have made me more cautious so I may have missed experiences.
If I could live my life again I would change the way I look investing for my future. I have had a good life but I fear that the little things in life are being doped and ignored to our peril.
Simple things that make life so much nicer, like Manners, respect, our culture and not bowing down to this political correctness. They are little things but we are loosing our identity.
I have regrets, but do not live with them. If I were to tell you about my background, you would wonder why I am still alive. However that may be for another time. I believe we learn from the careless decisions we made in our youth, or we should. If we don’t learn, some of us will be waving at each other while we drive around that mountain again until we do learn the lesson. I wouldn’t want to go back, but if I did I would correct any decisions that would hurt others and move in a different direction. I was born again in 1973 around Easter time and my only regret is that I did not come to the Lord earlier. From that time in my life, I have transfigured into a brand new person in Christ. I am not the same person I used to be. I still study the Word and have full dependence upon the Holy Spirit. All my life I did not have an identity and did not know who I was, until I met Jesus. I did not know the meaning of love or how to love until His Word taught me what true love really is. Today I can honestly say, I am one of the most blessed people on planet earth today because my eyes were opened to the truth, and the truth will always set you free! Free from so many things, you are unable to do for yourself. Blessings to all of you!
I have had a great 85 years so far and would not change one single thing
TEMPUS FUGIT
When my daughter asked me that he I told her “I’d have a vasectomy when I was 12 years old” she didn’t like that answer. She asked me if I could be anyone I wanted to be who would I be, I said ” I’d be me” When she asked me If I could live any where I wanted to where would I live, I said “I can and I do live where I want to” She said I wasn’t playing the game.
Sure there are things I’d do different but they didn’t seem wrong at the time.