During the closing scene of Quantum of Solace, M asks James Bond if he has any regrets. Bond responds with “No.” He then asks her if she has regrets, and she replies, “Of course not. That would be unprofessional.”
In the new April 2009 issue of Harvard Business Review, Dr. Michael Craig Miller, MD titles his article, “Go Ahead, Have Regrets.” He’s not talking about the rending emotion that paralyzes us or bombards us with failure. Rather, Miller claims that regret can be valuable because it can help clarify things in life and set us in a different direction. Because regret is a powerful emotion, that same power can motivate us to change and to do.
Miller quotes the Danish philosopher Soren Kirekegaard: “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” So it’s ok to look back and determine what hasn’t worked or where a direction is wrong—these are “frank reappraisals.” Now it’s time to look forward and determine how to turn those poor choices into meaningful experiences.
Regret-driven analysis does not mean rationalization or excuse making. In terms of the gospel, regret can allow us to act rather than to be acted upon. Regret can give us perspective, especially if the regret results from spiritual promptings, and those some promptings can guide us as we redirect our lives.
Rather than ignore or even not acknowledge regret, James and M, it is professional and healthy to understand life backwards but live it forwards.
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