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Regrets: Does it ever get better?

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Today I'm someone full of regrets about the professional decisions that I took in the last few months.

I got into entrepreneurship as I wanted to get a away from my 9 to 5 job and do something fulfilling. In the past 1 year I worked extremely hard to build a startup, but we couldn't find the right product fit. I could've/should've kept going, but I panicked, got anxious and indicisive. My anxiety got the best of me and I made one bad decision after another that ultimately made me leave the startup world and get back to a job, the very same thing I wanted to change in my life.

If I can go back in time, I will act fearlessly and pursue my dream. But now I've reached a dead end instead. All I have is depression and regrets.I don't think life will ever give me a second chance.

Does it ever gets better? I learnt something about how to conduct myself through this experience. But all I have is a long unfulfilling life ahead with regrets. Wish I had this learning before I messed up my dream.

Om 4.1K

4 Answers

In Walk the Dragon, Swamiji said (as a matter of fact) that after your first and second startup/project fails, you have enough lessons and insights and you'll likely succeed in a big way in your third startup/project.

I have done a thought experiment - why do I experience intense disappointment on failure (and an intense fear of failure?). My answer: societal conditioning. We are praised upon "succeeding" and censured on "failing". I subconsciously made this my credo. For a long period of time. I now realise this view of success and failure is a big fat lie.

As Krishna says in the Gita, success or failure is not (entirely) in our hands. This is insanely hard to accept in practice, yes.

I believe failure should be celebrated. It provides lessons that success does not.

You took a giant leap of faith and became an entrepreneur, which few people have the courage to pursue.

I think you're a hero.

Prahalad 122.2K

I have been an entrepreneur and have both failed & succeeded.

1. Every failure provides a lot of lessons. As an entrepreneur, one develops also an attitude where you don't care about what others think.

2. Life cannot be lived looking at the rear view mirror. If anything you take the lessons, and move on. What is stopping you from starting up again?

Go ahead and build your next startup, if that is what will make you happy. Lack of funds, lack of time, are just excuses for something else.

If you want something really bad, you will find a way to pursue it.

Keep moving forward.

Ravi Om T 59K

Prahalad ji has already provided a beautiful answer. It reminded of something. Before discovering the correct element tungsten for making bulb, Thomas Alva Edison failed 1000 times. When a reporter asked, he said, "The light bulb was an invention of 1000 steps."

There's a famous quote by Edison, something like, "I have not failed 10,000 times. I just found 10000 ways which don't work."

We never fail, we either succeed or learn. Will suggest you to watch Steve Jobs's speech at Stanford university - https://youtu.be/UF8uR6Z6KLc

Love and light 💫✨

Yash 70.9K

Dear Om,

I'd recommend the Walk The Dragon Virtual course by Om Swami. It will help you get a clear picture of what to do, and how to change your perception. Swami's advice from His own experience in it, is epic.